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MH17 Ukraine disaster: Relatives briefed on Dutch report | MH17 Ukraine disaster: Relatives briefed on Dutch report |
(35 minutes later) | |
Relatives of some of the 298 people who died on Malaysian Airlines flight MH17 over Ukraine in 2014 have been briefed on a report by the Dutch Safety Board. | |
The report finds the plane was hit by a Russian-made Buk missile, relatives told the BBC. | |
Victims would have lost consciousness almost immediately, they report. | |
The West and Ukraine say Russian-backed rebels brought down the Boeing 777. But Russia claims a missile was fired from Ukrainian-controlled territory. | The West and Ukraine say Russian-backed rebels brought down the Boeing 777. But Russia claims a missile was fired from Ukrainian-controlled territory. |
The report will not apportion blame. | The report will not apportion blame. |
The plane - flying from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur - crashed in rebel-held eastern Ukraine on 17 July 2014 at the height of the conflict between government troops and the pro-Russian separatists. | The plane - flying from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur - crashed in rebel-held eastern Ukraine on 17 July 2014 at the height of the conflict between government troops and the pro-Russian separatists. |
Among the victims were 196 Dutch nationals and 10 Britons. | Among the victims were 196 Dutch nationals and 10 Britons. |
Click here for minute-by-minute updates | Click here for minute-by-minute updates |
Four questions | Four questions |
The Dutch Safety Board presented its findings first to the victims' relatives. Reporters will be briefed at the Gilze-Rijen military base in the Netherlands in the coming hours. | The Dutch Safety Board presented its findings first to the victims' relatives. Reporters will be briefed at the Gilze-Rijen military base in the Netherlands in the coming hours. |
The board will also show parts of the aircraft that have been brought back from the rebel-held Donetsk region and reconstructed. | The board will also show parts of the aircraft that have been brought back from the rebel-held Donetsk region and reconstructed. |
The report looks at four key issues: | |
Read more | Read more |
Malaysia Airlines MH17 crash - In-depth report | Malaysia Airlines MH17 crash - In-depth report |
What we know - What happened on on 17 July 2014 | What we know - What happened on on 17 July 2014 |
A reporter's story - Searching for truth at the crash site | A reporter's story - Searching for truth at the crash site |
Remembering the victims - Shared sadness and sunflowers | Remembering the victims - Shared sadness and sunflowers |
Barry Sweeney, father of British crash victim Liam Sweeney, told the BBC that it appeared a missile had struck the cockpit first - killing all three crew inside and leaving fragments inside their bodies. | Barry Sweeney, father of British crash victim Liam Sweeney, told the BBC that it appeared a missile had struck the cockpit first - killing all three crew inside and leaving fragments inside their bodies. |
He said the cockpit then appeared to have broken off. | He said the cockpit then appeared to have broken off. |
But he and other relatives briefed on the report say they were told it was extremely unlikely that anyone on board had any notion of what was happening. | But he and other relatives briefed on the report say they were told it was extremely unlikely that anyone on board had any notion of what was happening. |
The board does not have the authority to apportion blame, under the rules governing international flight crash investigations. | The board does not have the authority to apportion blame, under the rules governing international flight crash investigations. |
A separate Dutch-led criminal investigation is expected to publish its findings in several months' time. | A separate Dutch-led criminal investigation is expected to publish its findings in several months' time. |
At the scene: Anna Holligan, BBC News, The Hague | At the scene: Anna Holligan, BBC News, The Hague |
"There's been so much spin and propaganda and rumours and politics. So many 'experts' give their opinions. All we want are basic facts." | "There's been so much spin and propaganda and rumours and politics. So many 'experts' give their opinions. All we want are basic facts." |
Evert Van Zijtveld, deputy chairman of the MH17 Air Disaster Association, lost his son, daughter and parents-in-law when flight MH17 was shot down. | Evert Van Zijtveld, deputy chairman of the MH17 Air Disaster Association, lost his son, daughter and parents-in-law when flight MH17 was shot down. |
Access to the wreckage was limited. The catastrophe was swiftly hijacked and politicised. | Access to the wreckage was limited. The catastrophe was swiftly hijacked and politicised. |
Fifteen months later, the Dutch Safety Board is finally publishing its definitive report. | Fifteen months later, the Dutch Safety Board is finally publishing its definitive report. |
The aviation report will not apportion blame: its sole purpose is to establish what caused the crash and "prevent similar incidents from happening again". | The aviation report will not apportion blame: its sole purpose is to establish what caused the crash and "prevent similar incidents from happening again". |
Read more: Relatives seek truth of final moments | Read more: Relatives seek truth of final moments |
Prosecutors had suggested that the aircraft was most likely brought down by a Russian-made Buk surface-to-air missile - which experts say both Russian and Ukrainian armies possess. | Prosecutors had suggested that the aircraft was most likely brought down by a Russian-made Buk surface-to-air missile - which experts say both Russian and Ukrainian armies possess. |
That was apparently confirmed by the relative who spoke to the BBC about the report contents. | That was apparently confirmed by the relative who spoke to the BBC about the report contents. |
The government in Ukraine and several Western officials have said the missile was brought from Russia and launched from the rebel-held part of Ukraine. | The government in Ukraine and several Western officials have said the missile was brought from Russia and launched from the rebel-held part of Ukraine. |
Report 'wrong' | Report 'wrong' |
Earlier on Tuesday, Russian officials from Almaz-Antey - the state firm which manufactures Buk missiles - once again rejected those accusations. | Earlier on Tuesday, Russian officials from Almaz-Antey - the state firm which manufactures Buk missiles - once again rejected those accusations. |
During a presentation timed to pre-empt the Dutch report, officials said the evidence suggested the plane was shot down by a surface-to-air Buk missile fired by Ukrainian forces. | During a presentation timed to pre-empt the Dutch report, officials said the evidence suggested the plane was shot down by a surface-to-air Buk missile fired by Ukrainian forces. |
Using video footage of their own mock-up of shrapnel hitting the fuselage of an aircraft, the officials said trajectory evidence showed the missile had been fired from Ukrainian-controlled territory. They argued the missile used was a decades-old model no longer in use in the Russian arsenal. | Using video footage of their own mock-up of shrapnel hitting the fuselage of an aircraft, the officials said trajectory evidence showed the missile had been fired from Ukrainian-controlled territory. They argued the missile used was a decades-old model no longer in use in the Russian arsenal. |
Russia says Dutch investigators have not taken account of its findings. | Russia says Dutch investigators have not taken account of its findings. |
In July, Russia vetoed a draft resolution at the UN Security Council to set up an international tribunal into the MH17 air disaster. | In July, Russia vetoed a draft resolution at the UN Security Council to set up an international tribunal into the MH17 air disaster. |
President Vladimir Putin said at the time the establishment of such a tribunal would be "premature" and "counterproductive". | President Vladimir Putin said at the time the establishment of such a tribunal would be "premature" and "counterproductive". |
Are you affected by the issues raised in this story? Please email haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk to share your experiences. | Are you affected by the issues raised in this story? Please email haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk to share your experiences. |
Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also contact us in the following ways: | Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also contact us in the following ways: |
Or, you can comment here: | Or, you can comment here: |