MH17 Update: New Witness Identified; Owner of the Truck that Carried the BUK Missile that Shot Down Malaysian Airlines Provides Evidence
The owner of the white Volvo truck that is said to have carried the BUK missile that reportedly shot down Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 has provided new evidence in the investigation. According to the latest report, the evidence provided by this man indicates that pro-Russian rebels are involved in the missile strike.
A man talked to Lithuanian publication alfa.it and identified the truck as his property. On July 17, 2014 Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 was shot down by a BUK missile when it was travelling over the conflict area in eastern Ukraine. The attack killed all the 298 people on board.
According to the report, a video was recorded by Ukrainian officers showing the weapon in question being transported in a truck during the early morning hours of July 18, the day after the plane was shot down while it was travelling from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur. The video shows that at 4.50 am the missile was taken to Russia from Kransnodon city.
The truck owner is one of the key witnesses of the crime. The report states that the source "confirmed that Western intelligence agencies were able to determine the origin and movement" (as translated by Google Translator) of the truck. The man informed Alfa.it that his truck was stolen on July 8, 2014 from his base in Donetsk. And now the man fears that his life is in danger.
"Stop saying my name, so I'm enough of trouble" the Ukrainian man told Alfa.it.
The man told the publication that his base is in Donestsk where the vehicle was stationed.
"Yes, this is my car," the man said. The people who took the vehicle told the truck owner that they "needed" the truck.
The source revealed that these men took the base "under their control" as well as his machines and "the white truck."
When asked if he was sure it's his truck, he told the publication that it is "easily recognizable" and they "know their machines." He informed that this white truck is the only truck with cabin in Donetsk.
The Alfa.it report notes that this man's "testimony is crucial" to the MH17 investigation.
Several media outlets including News.com.au reports the owner of the truck and witness to the crime is identified as the man named Vasilijus. News.com.au's report states that the "new evidence suggests that pro-Russian rebels are responsible for the attack."
Meanwhile, it is reported that experts from Malaysia have now joined the investigation being conducted on the MH17 crash site. According to Telegraph UK, another Dutch plane transported more human remains "DNA and belongings" recovered from the crash site. However, the battle between the rebels and the government continues to cause hindrance in the investigation. The report notes that when the experts arrived at the crash site the "shooting could still be heard" and they were "briefly prevented from accessing the rebel-held site."
The publication notes that the U.S. blames "insurgents" for attacking Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 with a weapon that was provided by Russia. As for Russians, the "Ukrainian military" is responsible for the shooting down of MH17.