According to the results of an independent investigation by an international team of open source data experts Bellingcat, Boeing flight MH17 was shot down by a Buk anti-aircraft missile.
The Buk was transferred from Russia to the militant-controlled territory of Donbas and operated by the crew from Russia`s 53rd Air Defense Missile Brigade.
The experts also revealed almost the exact launch site – a large field near the town of Snizhne of Donetsk region. However, according to Bellingcat`s coordinator Aric Toler, official investigators from the Joint Investigation Team (JIT) will be able to present more accurate data, Radio Liberty reports.
Toler says that there may be new information, in particular, on the exact spot of the missile launch. The investigators could probe the soil and establish, in which part of the field the Buk was located.
They cannot blame Russia for the tragedy, but after the exact launch location and is identified in the area under the Russian-backed militants` control, any speculations of Ukraine`s involvement in the tragedy will be removed.
Bellingcat continues its own research, but the report has not been prepared yet, Toler said.
According to the expert from Bellingcat, Russia is now pushing new bits of data coming from Almaz-Antey in order to ”disrupt” the report of the Joint Investigation Team.
The Russian side has kept the radar data for more than two years, and now they must explain why it was submitted so late.
According to Toler, Russia is releasing this information now in order to declare later that the JIT has not taken it into account. Most likely, radar images will be true and full, but the Buk missile won`t be seen on them because of technical limitations.
This opinion is shared by Ukrainian volunteer researchers from InformNapalm. Anton Pavlushko, the co-author of studies on the downed Boeing, recalled that two years ago, the Russian side had stated that they had no data, but now these data suddenly appeared.
He also reminded that Russia still did not explain the lack of data on military radar station in Millerovo, where, according to the investigation by InformNapalm, the Buk missile system was located for some time.
See alos: More MH17 docs released, Dutch govt. assumed Russian separatist to be responsible
