July 17, 2014, based on the airplane crash, a criminal proceeding for an alleged crime stipulated by Article 258 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (terrorist act) was initiated.

Yesterday the SSU made evidence proving that the plane was shot down by Russia-coordinated terrorists public. Their telephone conversations corroborating this statement are available on the SSU segment of YouTube in English, French, German, Polish, Japanese, Spanish, Italian and Turkish.

In particular, intercepted telephone conversations enable to state that Boeing 777 was shot down by the Donetsk People’s Republic terrorists with a BUK-M anti-aircraft missile system which was moved from Russia.

In the morning of July 17, 2014, the day of a tragedy, the SSU CI acquired reliable information that capabilities of at least one BUK-M system with a crew are available to DNR militants. They were moved across the state border from Russia in the vicinity of Sukhodolsk at approximately 1 a.m. The crew comprised Russian militaries who immediately committed the terrorist act.

Furthermore, July 17, 2014, apart from the mentioned BUK-M system, DNR terrorists received from Russia three GVOZDIKA self-propelled mobile artillery. Apparently, terrorists even do not try to conceal that they are aware about missile strikes from the Russian territory on positions of Ukrainian Army.

Conversations which are available to the public directly prove that terrorists are not locals. When they talk about settlements they recommend each other to use maps.

The SSU has information indicating that after yesterday’s appalling crime terrorists will try to get the BUK missile system back to Russia.

Detention of Russian citizens on the border

The Security Service and the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine detained two Russian citizens with Russian passports when they were attempting to cross the Ukrainian state border. A military ID that belonged to one of them was seized, the card says that his military specialty is a ‘centerer’.

According to the radio intercepted telephone conversations between Donetsk separatists’ leader Strelok and his Russian supervisor, terrorists have GRAD multiple rocket launcher systems, but they cannot use them as they lack centerers. According to Strelok, the ATO forces eliminated a number of specialists in this area, so he urgently demands to send the experts from Russia.

In his turn the Russian supervisor assures Strelok that he has already sent two technicians who are expected to arrive from Russia.

ATO forces together with border guards have also detained two Ukrainians. In their car law enforcers revealed landmines for mining infrastructure facilities and roads. The detainees confessed that for financial remuneration they were supposed to mine Kramatorsk-Sloviansk road along which Ukrainian Armed Forcers’ military hardware moves.

Arrests in Dnipropetrovsk

The Security Service of Ukraine prevented terrorist attacks on strategic facilities, authority buildings and financial institutions in Dnipropetrovsk. June 18, 2014, law enforcers detained the subversive group planning to conduct explosions in the city in order to intimidate people and destabilize situation in the region.

The SSU detained Ukrainian citizens known as ‘Staf’ and ‘Boroda – members of paramilitary groups operating in Donetsk and Luhansk regions. The militants arrived in Donetsk to commit acts of terrorism and subversions. They were led by Russian citizen V. Petrov, aka ‘Batia’, who was personally giving orders and providing the subversives with weapons.

6 RPG-18 rocket-propelled grenades and a detailed city map with marked objects were seized from the detainees, who admitted to having planned terrorist acts at these sites, including the building of Dnipropetrovsk Regional State Administration, railway bridges, tunnels and bank offices.

The SSU Office in Dnipropetrovsk region initiated a criminal proceeding for preparation to commit terrorist acts, i.e. a crime pertaining to Article 14 and Article 258 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine. The investigation is underway.

The video of criminals’ detention is available at the SSU segment on YouTube.

Summary of previous statements

V. Nalyvaichenko, Head of the Security Service of Ukraine:

The primary task of the SSU in the situation with the passenger aircraft crash in Donetsk region is to identify those who exactly ordered to launch a missile to shoot down a civilian plane. The Governmental Commission is working now.

By making this evidence public we clearly define that the accident occurred at 4:20 p.m. in Donetsk region. This tape is not the last evidence that we are going to divulge with the permission of the President of Ukraine. We need to disclose all possible channels in order to conduct an unbiased investigation, so that the Russian militaries responsible for the crime are prosecuted.  

Criminal proceeding has been initiated for a terrorist act – shooting down a civilian plane by Russian military mercenaries. 

President of Ukraine

The war is already far beyond Ukrainian borders. The consequences of this war have already reached every corner of the world. Terrorists killed about 300 people with a single strike, among them women, children, and citizens of different countries of the world.

I have ordered the Ukrainian Government to establish a National Commission on investigation of the causes of the catastrophe. We have also engaged experts from the International Civil Aviation Organization as well as representatives of the Netherlands, Malaysia and the USA.

Terrorist have already stated their intention to cover their tracks and move a flight data recorder, the so-called black box, to Moscow.

Unfortunately, this tragedy is another proof of global rather than local nature of terrorism. And the external threat to Ukraine is not only our problem; it is a threat to European and global security and in order to counter it we must to join efforts.

After effective actions of the Ukrainian Army, mercenaries and their ‘big brother’ more often and more impudently resort to undisguised military actions against our country. They shell Ukraine from their territory, shoot down planes, and supply professional personnel and state-of-the-art military equipment. The hybrid war is acquiring undeniable features of external aggression.