NewsWatch: The prime suspect MH17 had not known for hours about the Boeing shooting down

In total, it relates to the thousands of phone conversations Dubinsky held in July and August 2014 before, during and after the MH17 disaster. According to the TV show, they provide a detailed picture of the raw reality of the war in eastern Ukraine.

Dubinsky was the head of an espionage and reconnaissance unit during the disaster. Less than half an hour after the MH17 was shot down, Dubinsky heard from his associates that they had shot down a Ukrainian fighter plane. It took nearly two hours before Dubinsky discovered it was a Boeing aircraft.

The records also show how Russia’s influence over the separatists is getting stronger. Moscow participated in the military strategic decisions. It also became clear that the installation of the Buk missile comes from Russia. The joint investigation team, the international team investigating the cause of the disaster, previously provided evidence that the rifle missile installations came from the Russian army, in the interim conclusions of the 2018 investigations, to the Russian Army’s missile defense brigade. Russia consistently rejects the team’s findings and evidence.

In recordings News Hour It can be heard how the main suspect Dubinsky receives letters from the city of Marinovskaya, where the separatists are being held. They are suffering from attacks by Ukrainian snipers, artillery and combat aircraft. Dubinsky has promised tanks, but that doesn’t work, he was told. They need long-range missiles. Eventually, that ramp will get there. Later on, MH17 was shot down with it.

The prosecutor said the fact that Dubinsky and his associates did not know what was shot does not matter the accusation. They were guilty of crashing an aircraft and killing its occupants. According to OM, intent does not have to be proven for this.

In addition to the MH17 case, the case against the four main suspects, the Netherlands also held Russia accountable at the state level. The Netherlands did so in 2018 with Australia, which has also lost many citizens. From a legal point of view, state responsibility is a difficult concept. Then the states must first find out about them.

The chance of this diminished when the Netherlands sued Russia again, this time before the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR). The Dutch state did so to help 380 living relatives who had already filed a complaint with the European Court of Human Rights. Russia then withdrew from the talks it had held up to then with the Netherlands and Australia. If the three countries do not agree, the case can be pursued at the International Court of Justice. But Russia does not automatically recognize the strength of this court. The MH17 operation does not recognize the country either.