MH17: Ukraine claims has evidence that Russian rebels behind the disaster

The Security Service of Ukraine (SSU) claims that it has 'compelling evidence' that Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 was shot down with the use of Buk anti-missile system which together with a crew had been transferred from Russia to Ukraine.

Head of SSU Department Vitalii Naida said during a briefing at the Crisis Media Center as reports by SSU’s official website.

Naida told media that the evidence had been already forwarded to all the Service’s international partners.

“The SSU conducts investigative actions and receives irrefutable evidence that Russian citizens were involved in the act of terrorism” said Naida.

The SSU cooperates directly with the Dutch police and law enforcers from other states whose citizens became victims of the incident.

Naida also emphasised that the Service had identified a launch point in the district controlled by terrorists and Russian military.

Journalists were shown pictures of what Naida said were photos of the three alleged Buk missile systems on the road towards the Russian border hours after MH17 was shot down on July 17. (However, news.com.au site stated that the images could not be independently verified by international agencies.)

The photo was released taken at the moment of a missile launch near Torez towards the village of Snizhne.

“It distinctly depicts contrail of the missile that shot down the Boeing 777 with civilians aboard.

“At 2pm on July 18, two movers each with a Buk missile launcher crossed the Russian border in Luhansk region. At 4pm, another three movers: one of them empty, other carrying a launcher with four missiles and the latter allegedly with a control unit, crossed the state border” explained Naida.

He also stressed that Russia attempted to suppress evidence of its involvement.

Flight MH17 -- carrying 298 passengers which included 283 passengers and 15 crew was en route from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur when it came down in Ukraine.

Fourty-three passengers including the 15 crew and two infants are Malaysians.

Ukrainian authorities believe that the Boeing 777 was shot down.

MH17 departed Amsterdam at 12.15 pm (Netherlands time) Thursday and was to have arrived at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport at 6.10 am (Malaysian time) Friday.