Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 crash area Ukraine Google Earth Map
info from:Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 (MH17/MAS17)[a] was a scheduled international passenger flight from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur that crashed on 17 July 2014 after being shot down, killing all 283 passengers and 15 crew on board.[2] The Boeing 777-200ER airliner lost contact about 50 km (31 mi) from the Ukraine–Russia border and crashed near Torez in Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine, 40 km (25 mi) from the border.[3] The crash occurred during the Battle in Shakhtarsk Raion, part of the ongoing war in Donbass, in an area controlled by the Donbass People's Militia.[4] According to American and German intelligence sources, the plane was shot down by pro-Russian insurgents using a Buk surface-to-air missile fired from the territory which they controlled.[5] The Russian government blamed the Ukrainian government.[6] The Dutch Safety Board is currently leading an investigation into the incident and issued a preliminary report on 9 September 2014; a final accident report is expected in October 2015.[7][8]
Evidence from open sources indicated that Russian forces or their proxies in Ukraine were in control of a Buk missile launcher on 17 July and transported it from Donetsk to Snizhne.[9] US sources attributed the downing to a missile fired from separatist-controlled territory, with their judgement based on sensors that traced the path of the missile, analysis of shrapnel patterns in the wreckage, voice print analysis of separatists' conversations in which they claimed credit for the strike, as well as photos and other data from social media sites.[6] Immediately after the crash, a post appeared on the VKontakte social media website attributed to Russian Colonel Igor Girkin, leader of the Donbass separatists, claiming responsibility for shooting down an AN-26,[10][11][12] but after it became clear that a civilian aircraft had been shot down, the separatists denied any involvement, and the post was taken down. Russia has said that Ukraine bears full, total responsibility for the crash because it happened in Ukrainian airspace.[13] The Ukrainian government states the missile was launched by Russian professionals and coordinated from Russia.[14][15] Malaysia said intelligence reports on the downing of MH17 were pretty conclusive, but more investigation was necessary to be certain that a surface-to-air missile brought down the plane, after which they would look at the criminal side.[16][17][18] The German Federal Intelligence Service reportedly concluded that the plane was shot down by pro-Russian separatists using a captured Ukrainian Buk system.[19][20][21] CT scans of MH17 victims showed non aircraft metal[22] and on 19 December 2014 the Ukrainian SBU security service said that some of the bodies contained metal fragments that indicated the plane was shot down by a surface-to-air missile.[23] Preliminary evidence from the ongoing Dutch investigation has concluded that the plane was shot down by a Russian unit that was most likely manned by a Russian crew.[24]
The crash of Flight 17 was the fifth Boeing 777 hull loss.[25] The crash was Malaysia Airlines' worst incident and its second of the year, after the disappearance of Flight 370 four months earlier.[26]