Yuriy Butusov
17.07.2014, 20:46
Translated and edited by Voices of Ukraine

A high-ranking official, a source of Censor.Net with the ‘Yug’ [South] operational command provided commentary on the circumstances surrounding the crash of the Malaysian Airlines Boeing near Torez [Donetsk oblast]:

“Ukrainian aviation made no flights over Luhansk and Donetsk Oblasts on July 17. Ukraine can easily prove complete lack of our [Ukrainian] aircraft in the sky–the last flight was made on the evening of July 16, a day before the Boeing tragedy. The nearest positions of Ukrainian troops are located 50 km away from the crash site. We do not control the territory above which the Boeing was destroyed.

“We have no long-range anti-aircraft weapons in the ATO [anti-terrorist operation] area. The military anti-aircraft facilities our units are equipped with – Shilka and – have a range of up to 5 km. Therefore, we can state with utmost responsibility that Ukraine is not involved in the Boeing crash, and we can prove that easily.

Buk anti-aircraft system (photo by Wikimedia commons)

“The plane was destroyed by a Russian ‘BUK’ surface-to-air missile system, operated by Russian military specialists. On July 14 and 16, Ukrainian IL-76 transport planes passed near the route taken by the Malaysian Airlines plane, but at lower altitudes–6,000 to 7,000 meters. Evidently, the Russian military mistook the Boeing for our [Ukrainian] transport, and ignored its altitude and the fact that the liner was following an international air corridor.

“We have no doubts that any international commission will quickly establish all circumstances that will confirm the above information, and help shed light on this act of international terrorism committed by Russia.”

Source: Yuriy Butusov FB