MH17 crash was a “planned action”

PETALING JAYA: Although the MH17 crash investigations are preliminary, the Ukraine embassy believes the downing of the plane was a “planned action” using an air defence system, a statement from the Ukraine embassy here said.

“We are confident that those responsible for this tragedy will be brought to justice,” the embassy said.

It said the Security Service of Ukraine intercepted telephone conversations of an operative I. Bezler (aka ‘Bes’) reporting to his coordinator, the Russian GRU colonel V. Geranin, that a civil airplane was shot down by militants.

A few hours after the incident the Secret Service of Ukraine received and released irrefutable evidence that the plane was shot down by the pro-Russian terrorists using Russian weapons.

Ukraine President Petro Poroshenko has expressed his deepest condolences to the families and friends of those who died in this terrible tragedy.

“All possible search-and-rescue operations are being carried out,” the embassy said.

Poroshenko has also ordered the Ukrainian Cabinet to set up an Emergency State Commission to investigate the tragedy.

“Poroshenko has also invited the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) and other international experts including Dutch and Malaysian representatives to join the investigation,” the embassy said.

It said the Ukrainian authorities are making efforts to achieve an agreement with rebel leaders for access to the accident site and provide all assistance to identify and repatriate the bodies of the victims to their respective countries.

“This tragedy was the third following the downing of AN-26 and SU-25 aircrafts of the Ukrainian Armed Forces,” the embassy statement said adding that they suspect MH17 was also brought down in a similar manner.

The statement added that the air defence system of the armed forces of Ukraine was not used and there were no Ukrainian fighters in the air at the time.

The statement said the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Ukraine has set up a MH17 crisis response unit.

The unit can be contacted (24 hours) at: phone (044) 279 62 06, 238 16 57, fax (044) 253 11 24 or e-mail: cons_vor2@mfa.gov.ua.

There are also crisis response units formed at the Embassy of Ukraine in Malaysia (phone: +603 21669552, +6016 2614707, fax +603 21664371, e-mail emb_my@mfa.gov.ua) and at the:

Embassy of Ukraine in the Netherlands (phone : +31(70)3626095, fax:+31(70)3615565, e-mailemb_nl@mfa.gov.ua, embukr@wxs.nl)