After MH17 shot down, video shows Buk missile launcher allegedly being moved from Ukraine to Russia

National Post ^ | July 18, 2014 | Tom Parfitt & David Barrett

[free_life]

A missile launcher allegedly used to destroy Flight MH17 has been smuggled across the Ukrainian border into Russia to cover up its role in the strike, Ukraine’s interior minister claimed Friday.

Amid mounting evidence that Russian-backed separatists were behind the disaster, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations said “technical assistance” from Russia could not be ruled out.

In a pointed reference to Moscow, Samantha Power added that the perpetrators should not be “sheltered” by any UN member state.

We cannot rule out technical assistance from the Russians. The perpetrators must be brought to justice, they must not be sheltered by any member state of the United Nations.”

[free_life]

The Ukrainian Interior Ministry said footage of a Buk launcher with one of its four missiles apparently missing was captured by a police surveillance squad at dawn Friday.

In a day of claim and counter-claim, Ukraine’s interior minister, Arsen Avakov, said a Buk mobile launch vehicle had been moved since the destruction of the Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777-200 on Thursday, and that it was missing at least one rocket. He claimed the launcher had been tracked by Ukrainian intelligence agents as it passed by the town of Krasnodon in the Luhansk region.

A 13-second video showed a tarpaulin-covered vehicle being driven through a semi-rural location with green and white missiles still visible, but it was not possible to confirm the veracity of the claim.

Mr. Avakov wrote on Facebook: “To all appearance, this is exactly the Buk rocket complex which fired at the aircraft flying from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur.”

Photographs also emerged purportedly showing a Buk battery being moved in a rebel-held area close to the crash site.

Sergei Lavrov, Russia’s foreign minister, dismissed suggestions that Moscow was involved in the alleged strike. The separatists also denied involvement, claiming that they did not have a weapon capable of such an attack.

However, the separatists themselves announced last month that they had seized at least one Buk missile launcher from a Ukrainian army base in Donetsk.

Ms. Power told the UN Security Council: “We assess Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 … was likely downed by a surface-to-air missile, [likely] an SA-11 [the U.S. designation for a Buk missile], operated from a separatist location in eastern Ukraine.” She added: “We cannot rule out technical assistance from the Russians. The perpetrators must be brought to justice, they must not be sheltered by any member state of the United Nations.”

Douglas Barrie, an air defence specialist from the International Institute for Security Studies, said a Buk would have been capable of hitting an aircraft at 10,000 metres, the altitude at which MH17 was flying when it disappeared. “That kind of altitude is in the heart of its engagement envelope,” he added.

Russian sources suggested that the Buk system seized by the rebels in Donetsk was poorly maintained or incomplete, and there was speculation that it could not have been fired in such condition. But Mr. Barrie said that while the Buk required specialist training to operate, the launcher could be used crudely even without a separate command vehicle or surveillance radar.

Raw tracking data from a less sophisticated radar mounted within the launch vehicle itself would have made it difficult to distinguish a civilian jet from a military plane, possibly explaining why MH17 was shot down by mistake, he said.

There were unconfirmed reports that MH17’s “black box” – the voice data recorder and flight data recorder – had already been found and spirited away to Moscow. Anton Gerashchenko, an adviser to Mr. Avakov, said: “According to the latest information from our intelligence the black boxes obtained by the terrorists at the scene will be handed over to their supervisors from FSB [the Russian security service] today on one of the border crossing checkpoints of Luhansk.

“This would be one of the many brazen acts of violation of international treaties in the sphere of aircraft accidents investigation by [Vladimir] Putin.”

Mr. Lavrov responded: “Despite what Kiev is again saying, we do not plan to take these boxes. We do not plan to violate existing norms for such situations. We want international experts to get to the site of the crash as soon as possible so that they get the black boxes right away.”

Earlier, Valentyn Nalivaychenko, Ukraine’s state security chief, released recordings and transcripts of what he claimed were intercepted telephone conversations between Russian military intelligence officers and rebel fighters, suggesting collusion in a missile strike.

One recording featured a man whom Mr. Nalivaychenko said was Igor Bezler, a rebel commander, who is heard reporting on the incident to Vasily Geranin, a colonel in Russian military intelligence.

“A plane has just been shot down. It was the ‘minelaying’ group. They’ve gone to search and photograph the plane. It is smoking,” Bezler says.

In another recording, a rebel fighter going by the nom de guerre of “Major” is heard to say: “Hell. It’s almost 100 per cent certain that it’s a civilian plane.”

The UN Security Council approved a statement drafted by the British government yesterday which called for “a full, thorough and independent international investigation”. The Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe said 30 observers reached the site yesterday, as talks continued with the rebels to create a “humanitarian corridor” allowing access to the region.

But it remained unclear which organisation would take the lead role in the inquiry. It is unknown whether Ukraine has a functioning air accident organisation with the resources and personnel necessary to carry out such a complex investigation. Philip Hammond, the British Foreign Secretary, called for the United Nations to lead the inquiry and the Air Accident Investigation Branch said it was sending a team to Ukraine to help.

[BobL]

Yep, I can see the “Russia or Bust” sign on the side of the road, as well as yesterday’s newspaper.

Must be trying to get that hardware out of there in a hurry.

[AnAmericanAbroad]

“Yep, I can see the “Russia or Bust” sign on the side of the road, as well as yesterday’s newspaper.

Must be trying to get that hardware out of there in a hurry.”
__________________

Oh yeah....a real big hurry.

What’s the Russian for “Lucy.....you got some ‘splainin’ to do!”

[free_life]

World's top terrorist.

[free_life]

Putin needed to get the Russian military personnel who were manning that BUK out too.

[canuck_conservative]

So far, Putin has blamed the victim, hidden the evidence (black boxes, launcher, personnel), and now will probably refuse to cooperate with any investigation.

Sure sounds like the actions of someone who’s guilty.

[MichaelCorleone]

Fortunately for Vlad obama remains flexible. This will be out of the American news as soon as obama’s failed foreign policy comes to light.

By next Wednesday.

[Logical me]

Putin cleaning up. Nothing new for communists killers.

[BobL]

“So far, Putin has blamed the victim, hidden the evidence (black boxes, launcher, personnel), and now will probably refuse to cooperate with any investigation.”

The blame seemed to arrive VERY QUICKLY from the other side...even faster.

[usconservative]

I read yesterday that the BUK/Military Vehicle shown in the video was one missile short. Typically they carry four missiles, three were seen in the video.

Was the BUK that fired the deadly missile caught on video? Seems like it.

Another nail in Putin's coffin.

Clearly the cold war has resumed.

[Hoodat]

I am sure Obama’s response today will include doing something with golf clubs. What’s the weather like at Ft. Belvoir?

[MeshugeMikey]

word on the street is that John If I Had A Hammer Kerry....is on his way to moscow to woo putin's cooperation in getting to the bottom of this

his plans are said to include an opening serenade,,,

[free_life]

Putin is caught red handed this time. Time to put the international screws to him.

[free_life]

And there is the problem our Prez and his administration is AWOL as Putin advances the evil empire.

[free_life]

The Russians couldn’t hide it fast enough this time and have been caught red handed, but keep making excuses for our enemies quisling.

[Don Corleone]

There is a lot of Obama’s Administration in Putin’s administration or a lot of Putin’s administration in Obama’s administration. Or both!

[free_life]

Obama is practicing his bowing to muslim leaders as Putin supports muslim terrorists... well actually so is Obama.. a coordinated effort against America and Israel by Obama and Putin.

[free_life]

Bingo!

[Corporate Democrat]

Yet the Russian rebels were fastest of all in blaming themselves for shooting down the plane even before anyone knew it was actually a commercial airliner.