Judge says Russian-made missile may have hit Malaysian airliner MH17 in Ukraine crash that killed 298

‘Experts have stated that the impact on the hull is compatible with a BUK missile system and a BUK warhead,’ says Hendrik Steenhuis as murder trial of four fugitive suspects considers evidence

Hendrik Steenhuis views the reconstructed wreckage of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 at the Gilze-Rijen military airbase on 26 May 2021 (AFP/Getty)

The judge presiding over a murder trial concerning the downing of Malaysian airliner MH17 over eastern Ukraine has said there is evidence that the plane was hit by a Russian-made missile.

Four fugitive suspects – three Russians and a Ukrainian citizen – are being tried in absentia in a secure courtroom in the Netherlands over the incident of 17 July 2014 in which a Boeing 777 passenger plane, en route from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur, was brought down – killing all 298 people on board.

MH17 crashed into a field in territory held by pro-Russian separatists, who were engaged in fighting against Ukrainian forces at the time.

“Experts have stated that the impact on the hull is compatible with a BUK missile system and a BUK warhead. No damage was found that would not be compatible with that scenario, or that would indicate another scenario,” Judge Hendrik Steenhuis said.

A team of international investigators spent years collecting evidence from the crash site and concluded in May 2018 that the missile launcher used to shoot down the aircraft had belonged to Russia’s 53rd Anti-Aircraft Missile Brigade, based in Kursk.

The Dutch government holds Moscow responsible for the disaster but Russia denies any involvement.

After a year of mostly procedural hearings beginning last March, judges announced the start of the evidence phase on Monday.

This week the panel of judges will specifically look to determine what type of missile hit the airplane, where it was fired from and whether the four suspects – Oleg Pulatov, Igor Girkin and Sergei Dubinsky and Leonid Kharchenko – can be held responsible for the atrocity.

“Today, it is about: was it a BUK missile or not?” Hans de Borst, who lost his daughter in the crash, said before the hearing, which was attended by a number of people who lost relatives in the disaster.

“I think the question is already answered but the court is now really answering it, so it’s important.”

Introducing the evidence phase of proceedings on Monday, Judge Steenhuis told the court: “Up until today no one has come forward and said they are even partially responsible for the crash of MH17.

“The hearing being public is important to society in general, and to the relatives particularly, that there will be clarity about the result of the investigation after years of investigation.”

The court would be highlighting key parts of the evidence and not going over every part in court, the judge warned.

“The file consists of 65,000 pages, and many hundreds of hours of video and audio recordings. It’s such a large case it’s simply not possible to speak about every detail,” he said.

The presiding judges visited the reconstructed, shrapnel-pierced wreckage of MH17 at the Gilze-Rijen military airbase for the first time last month and described the experience as an “emotionally loaded” day.

Additional reporting by agencies