Newspaper Says Russian Report Blames Kyiv For Downing Of MH17 Airliner

An independent Russian newspaper has published what it said was a report by Russian military engineers suggesting a Malaysian airliner shot down in Ukraine was hit by a Russian-made surface-to-air BUK missile fired by Ukrainian forces.

Novaya Gazeta said on May 6 that the report did not prove whether Ukrainian forces or the pro-Moscow rebels they are fighting had shot down Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 on July 17, killing all 298 people aboard.

Each side in the conflict in eastern Ukraine accuses the other of bringing down the plane, on which two-thirds of the victims were Dutch.

Dutch prosecutors say the "leading scenario" in their probe is that MH17 was hit by a BUK missile and are testing the theory it was fired from a separatist-held area.

Russian officials initially said the plane was hit by a Ukrainian fighter jet.

Kyiv has dismissed Russian allegations that its forces shot down the airliner.

Based on reporting by Reuters and novayagazeta.ru