Russia’s cooperation in the MH17 criminal probe has become crucial after a 17-minute video, believed to be smuggled out of rebel base in Ukraine, shows rebels rummaging through the luggage and remains of the dead passengers.
The video was released by Sydney’s Daily Telegraph on the anniversary of the attack, which killed all 298 people aboard the Boeing 777, en route to Kuala Lumpur from Amsterdam on July 17 last year.
The aircraft was shot out of the sky with what is believed to be a surface-to-air missile by pro-Russian rebels during heavy fighting with Ukrainian forces.
A joint criminal probe is underway led by the Netherlands and a final report on the cause of the crash is due to be released in October by the Dutch Safety Board.
It is certainly consistent with the intelligence advice that we received 12 months ago, that Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 had been shot down by a surface-to-air missile.
— Julie Bishop, Foreign Minister, Australia to Channel Nine
I am not suggesting that the Russian President knew anything about this in advance. I suspect, based on my own conversations with him last year, that he is horrified that all of this has happened.
— Tony Abbott, Prime minister, Australia
Abbott urged Russian President Vladimir Putin, who is against a probe, to cooperate with investigations into the attack.
(With inputs from PTI)
(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)