Putin is said to have personally approved the missile delivery

In 2014, a passenger plane was shot down over eastern Ukraine. Now it turns out that the Kremlin boss played a crucial role in the case.

International investigators into the downing of the MH17 passenger plane over eastern Ukraine more than eight years ago see clear evidence that Russian President Vladimir Putin personally approved the delivery of the missile used in the shooting. “There are strong indications that the Russian President decided to deliver the BUK missile to the separatists,” investigators said in The Hague on Wednesday.

However, the evidence for criminal prosecution was insufficient. “While we speak of strong evidence, the high bar of complete and conclusive evidence has not been met,” the team said at the press conference. In addition, Putin enjoys immunity through his office and cannot be prosecuted. There is therefore no direct evidence that the Kremlin chief also approved the shooting down.

Investigators base their conclusion that the Russian president may have been personally responsible for delivering the missile on, among other things, a wiretapped telephone conversation from a Russian government adviser.

It was therefore about delayed arms deliveries to the pro-Russian separatists. At the time, Putin was in France. The delay is because “there is only one person who makes a decision (…), the person who is at a summit in France,” says a passage of the phone call that the investigators played.

The Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777 was shot down by a Russian BUK anti-aircraft missile over a contested area in July 2014. All 298 people on board died. Russia has always denied any involvement in the Boeing downing.

Investigators said there was insufficient evidence against other suspects either. Therefore, the team announced that they would stop investigating the shooting. They have “now reached their limit”, all traces are “exhausted”, according to the investigators. The evidence was “not enough for further charges,” said Dutch prosecutor Digna van Boetzelaer.

The plane was en route from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur on July 17, 2014 when it was shot down over a contested area by a Russian Buk anti-aircraft missile. Charges were brought against three Russians and one Ukrainian – all of whom held leading positions with the pro-Russian rebels in eastern Ukraine at the time.

Last year, three of them were found guilty in a trial and sentenced to life imprisonment. A man was acquitted. None of the defendants attended the trial. Most of the victims were Dutch, so the trial also took place in the country.