Russian Embassy criticises Mikser's support of MH17 report

The Russian Embassy in Tallinn on Tuesday criticized Minister of Foreign Affairs Sven Mikser (SDE), who recently stated that the international investigative committee report regarding the shooting down of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 (MH17) above Eastern Ukraine in 2014 was clear evidence that the Russian Armed Forces were directly involved in the downing of the aircraft.
"The Russian side decisively rejects accusations concerning participation in the tragedy in Eastern Ukraine as unproven and baseless," read the embassy's comment, published on social media on Tuesday.
According to the embassy, Russia fully participated in the work of the Dutch investigative group by forwarding to it information concerning the Buk missile with which the aircraft was downed as well as information concerning a specially organised test and radiolocation which, according to the Russian side, prove that the missile to cause the death of approximately 300 civilians would have been launched from outside of territory not under Kiev's control.
From the start, the international investigative committee based everything on the assumption that Russia was involved in the catastrophy, the embassy claimed.
"A hurried statement of solidarity with the authors of such an opus will clearly not benefit Russian-Estonian relations, which are already going through a relatively difficult period," the Russian Embassy added.
Mikser: Report is clear evidence
At the beginning of the Foreign Affairs Council (FAC) meeting in Brussels on Monday, Dutch Minister of Foreign Affairs Stef Blok introduced the report of an international investigative committee concerning the downing of MH17.
"The report is definitely very clear evidence of the Russian Armed Forces being directly involved in the shooting down of MH17, which they have thus far denied," Mikser said. "The Netherlands and Australia have asked Russia to enter talks, the goal of which is to seek a fair solution and to hold the culprits accountable. The same stance was shared by all EU foreign ministers present today."
Malaysia Airlines Flight 17, en route from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur, was downed over Eastern Ukraine on 17 July, 2014, killing all 298 passengers and crew on board. 196 of the victims were citizens of the Netherlands; citizens of altogether 17 countries had been on board the flight.
The team to investigate the incident announced on Thursday that "the plane had been destroyed by a Russian-made Buk missile, adding that it had been supplied by the country's 53rd Anti-Aircraft Brigade in Kursk."
The Netherlands and Australia, countries with the most citizens aboard the aircraft, said on Friday that they hold Russia responsible for the downing of MH17.
Editor: Aili Vahtla
Source: BNS