KUALA LUMPUR: AT least four Buk M1 missile batteries were positioned near Donetsk, days before Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 was shot down over eastern Ukraine.
Intelligence sources who spoke to the New Straits Times point to a number of disturbing questions over the shoot down. The latest revolves around the deployment of these surface-to-air missile batteries in a region controlled by Ukrainian government forces. Several high-resolution photos clearly showed the mobile missile batteries, comprising launchers, targeting and acquisition infrastructure, and command and control centres.
Sources said the missile batteries were brought online on July 14, three days before the shootdown, which killed all 298 passengers on board.
“It’s a complex and sophisticated piece of equipment,” a source said, referring to the SA-11 missile system, codenamed “Gadfly” by the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation’s Air Standards Coordinating Commitee. The source added that it took at least a year to train the crew to operate the system effectively.
“You can’t just launch it with the push of a button and hit the target. It doesn’t work that way. The acquisition and targeting procedure is very precise and involves complex algorithms and calculations. There’s no way a regular person with minimal training could work this system, let alone hit a target at an altitude of 10km.”
This corroborates a separate report which appeared on Monday. Global Research had reported that an intelligence source had told former Associated Press reporter Robert Parry that the United States had satellite imagery that showed Ukrainian troops were allegedly responsible for shooting down flight MH17.
The independent media and research organisation reported that US intelligence agencies had detailed satellite images of the likely battery that launched a missile at MH17, with troops dressed in what looked like Ukrainian uniforms. Parry’s source added that the Central Intelligence Agency’s initial assessment was that the troops were Ukrainian.
Another senior intelligence analyst, who spoke to the NST, said the threats faced by pro-Russian rebels were mainly from government forces supported by close air support aircraft, such as the Sukhoi Su-25 Frogfoot. These aircraft typically operate at low to medium altitudes.
“If the aim was to bring down these aircraft, shoulder-fired and MANPADS (man-portable air defence systems) would suffice. There is no need for high altitude, long-range, surface-to-air missile systems,” said the source.
“It makes no sense for them to shoot a civilian aircraft flying at 33,000 feet up.”
One of the most “damning” evidence against Russia that surfaced in the days of the shoot down was a series of grainy photographs provided by Ukraine, purportedly showing a Buk missile battery being spirited across the border into Russia.
“In the snapshot, there’s a billboard advertisement. After careful analysis, it was found that the ad was by a local car dealership in the town called Krasnoarmeysk, which is controlled by the Ukrainian government.
“If the missile system did belong to pro-Russian forces, how could it pass through Ukrainian territory virtually unmolested?”
The NST also learnt that an American military satellite packed with sophisticated sensors and high-definition cameras had overflown near the crash area in Donetsk. Its job is to detect missile launches.
“The Americans have only been giving statements but no tangible evidence. Why?” the source asked.
But the most nagging question revolves around the Ukrainian air traffic control data and air-to-ground voice transmissions. They were seized by the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) immediately after the Boeing 777-200 went down.
“The SBU is preventing flight controllers from communicating with the media. The question is, why won’t they release the data, if only to absolve themselves of blame?”