As mourning continues for the 298 people killed in the Malaysia Airlines crash in Ukraine, few hard facts about the disaster’s causes are available. DW reviews the past week’s mix of sketchy details and speculation.
The July 17 incident saw Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 crash in eastern Ukraine, the area controlled by pro-Russian separatist forces. The plane had been en route from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur, cruising at an altitude of about 10,000 meters (33,000 feet). All 298 people on board – including 193 Dutch citizens and 28 Australian nationals – were killed.

Very soon after the news spread, Ukraine accused pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine of having shot down the plane, while the rebels blamed Ukrainian forces. Russia refuted claims by Ukraine and Western governments that the rebels in eastern Ukraine possessed a Russian-made anti-aircraft missile.

Suspicion also arose that the aircraft may have been shot down by accident. Igor Strelkov, a pro-Russian rebel leader, had apparently earlier boasted of having brought down a Ukrainian cargo plane in the same area.

West points finger at Russia

On Tuesday (22.07.20143), senior US intelligence officials said that Russia was responsible for “creating the conditions” that led to the crash, but offered no evidence of direct Russian government involvement. The officials said the plane was likely shot down by an SA-11 surface-to-air missile fired by Russian-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine. They cited intercepts, satellite photos and social media postings by separatists, some of which have been authenticated by US experts.

Russia on Thursday rejected the accusations. Deputy Defense Minister Anatoly Antonov said in a statement that if US officials had proof that the plane was shot down by a missile launched from the rebel-held territory, “how come it has not been made public?”
ew/sad (AP, AFP)