Disinfo: No aces in the West's hands in MH-17 case

Summary

A court case will start concerning the downing of flight MH-17 in The Hague in March. Recently, the Dutch-led investigative group has not been able to come up with any new evidence in this case. There are more and more spectacular statements accusing Russia and revolutionaries in the Donbass for the downing of the jet.

While Dutch investigators have been unable to bring any new evidence, indirect facts have surfaced that suggest the Ukrainian Security Service (SBU) had something to do with the downing of the Malaysian Boeing. Based on this, we can say that the tragedy was not simple negligence but an operation specifically benefiting Kiev and Washington, “who has not shown the world the satellite image ever since.”

Expert Yuri Antipov reviewed the photos taken at the crash site and found that no “BUK missile” was involved in the accident, instead, he said, the “characteristics of the debris” suggest there was an explosion on the inside. A bomb was likely placed on the flight back in Amsterdam.

Disproof

Recurring disinformation about the downing of MH-17. Theories that the accident was a plot to blame Russia, the involvement of Ukraine and that there is evidence a bomb exploded inside the plane have been among the many disinformation narratives the Kremlin have spread about the tragedy since 2014.

A special team, known as the Joint Investigation Team (JIT), was established to conduct the criminal investigation of the downing of the Malaysian Airlines flight MH17. The JIT comprises officials from the Dutch Public Prosecution Service and the Dutch police, along with police and criminal justice authorities from Australia, Belgium, Malaysia and Ukraine.

The JIT has concluded that flight MH17 was shot down on 17 July 2014 by a missile of the 9M38 series, launched by a BUK-TELAR, from farmland in the vicinity of Pervomaiskiy. At that time, the area was controlled by pro-Russian fighters. The BUK-TELAR was brought in from the territory of the Russian Federation and subsequently, after having shot down flight MH17, was taken back to the Russian Federation. The Dutch-led Joint Investigation Team (JIT), has concluded that the BUK-TELAR used to down MH17, originates from the 53rd Anti Aircraft Missile brigade, a unit of the Russian army from Kursk in the Russian Federation.

The prosecution of 4 suspects begins on 9th of March 2020, as decided by the Dutch Public Prosecutor’s Office (PPO), which has the unanimous support of the investigation authorities of the other countries in the Joint Investigation Team (JIT): Australia, Belgium, Malaysia and Ukraine. The PPO will present the case to an independent court in a public hearing under the Dutch legal system.

See previous disinformation narratives alleging that MH17 was a false flag attack, planned by British and Ukrainian security agencies, that Ukraine conceals evidence confirming its guilt, while Ukrainian secret service manipulated a sound recording in the MH17 investigation.

Go to search

publication/media

hu.news-front.info (Archived)
  • Reported in: Issue 184
  • DATE OF PUBLICATION: 10/02/2020
  • Outlet language(s) Hungarian
  • Countries and/or Regions discussed in the disinformation: The Netherlands, US, Ukraine, Russia
  • Keywords: MH17
see more

Disinfo: Coronavirus is a tool to weaken Chinese economy

It is more than a possibility that this virus is a tool used by another superpower [the US] to undermine the Chinese economy and even China’s “population reduction program,” the environmental situation in China continues to deteriorate.

Feb 09, 2020
Disproof

Fear over coronavirus has indeed affected China's stock markets, but assessing the virus as an artificial, man-made problem is part of the recurring pro-Kremlin narrative on secret labs and biological weapons. It is also consistent with the narrative that the spread of coronavirus is in the interest of the US to weaken China economically.

In response to the outbreak of the coronavirus, the Chinese authorities have placed more than a dozen cities under quarantine. The World Health Organisation is working with Chinese authorities and global experts to learn more about the virus. The virus "2019-nCoV” comes from a family of viruses that include the common cold, and viruses such as SARS and MERS. There is no evidence to suggest it was developed artificially as a weapon of mass destruction.

Disinfo: Ukraine is not going to treat the virus of nationalism

The virus of nationalism, which Kyiv considers as the lesser of evils, is now preventing it from going where Ukraine is trying to go. Nobody is going to treat this virus, the circle has closed, and Zelenskyy needs to either revise the language law or forget about NATO.

Feb 09, 2020
Disproof

Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narratives about Ukrainian nationalists and the disintegration of Ukraine with no evidence given.

Far-right groups enjoyed a very limited presence during the Euromaidan itself and had poor results in the 2014 presidential and parliamentary elections. The "Right Sector" candidate received 0.7% of the vote in the May 2014 presidential elections and the party received 1.8% of the vote in the October 2014 parliamentary elections. In the 2019 election cycle, far-right candidates fell short of the 5% minimum guaranteeing entry into parliament.

Disinfo: Western Balkans countries have a deficit of euroenthusiasm

European Union is not assured how the enlargement process will look in perspective, especially because of Western Balkans countries which have a deficit of euroenthusiasm.

Feb 09, 2020
Disproof

Recurring disinformation narrative about the end of the EU integrations.

According to the Eurobarometer Survey, published in 2019, Serbia is the only Western Balkan country whose citizens have more trust in the national government (41%) than in the European Union (33%). In North Macedonia, these figures are 57% for EU and 33% for the national government, in Albania 69% to 40% and the result in Montenegro is 47% to 43%.