Ukrainian spy reveals kidnapping of key MH17 witness sought by Dutch investigators

International investigators launched multiple undercover operations to lure a key figure linked to the MH17 downing out of Russian-controlled territory. When those efforts collapsed, Ukrainian agents kidnapped him. The witness ultimately ended up in Russia through a prisoner exchange, a former senior Ukrainian intelligence official has revealed.

Roman Tsjervinsky, who once headed Ukraine’s secret service, described the operations to NOS. The Joint Investigation Team, or JIT, tried repeatedly to persuade Volodymyr Tsemach to cooperate as a witness.

Tsemach joined pro-Russian separatist forces in 2014. He served as air defense commander in Snizhne, a town close to the site where a Buk surface-to-air missile was launched, destroying Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 and killing all 298 passengers and crew.

“They made him all kinds of proposals. Financial, but also another nationality to get him as a witness. Unfortunately, they didn’t succeed,” Tsjervinsky said.

Investigators first attempted contact through a relative. After that approach failed, Ukrainian intelligence stepped in. Agents abducted Tsemach from Russian-occupied territory in eastern Ukraine and brought him to Kyiv.

Dutch officials were unaware of the kidnapping at the time. Dutch justice authorities have so far declined to comment on it.

Dutch authorities regarded him mainly as an important witness. Tsjervinsky said Tsemach had knowledge that could strengthen the case against Russia.

“He could prove that the Buk missile was brought from Russia to Ukraine and fired there by Russian soldiers. And not by separatists or another party,” Tsjervinsky said.

A Russian television interview showed Tsemach appearing to implicate himself in the missile operation. With Tsemach retired and unprotected in the small town of Snizhne, Ukrainian agents saw an opportunity.

“He had no protection because he was retired. Snizhne is small, and there are few people on the street, so we decided that the operation was promising,” Tsjervinsky told NOS.

The abduction went ahead. Agents overpowered and sedated Tsemach, then smuggled him through several pro-Russian checkpoints to the Ukrainian capital. One secret service member died when he triggered a mine during the mission. A second agent was injured.

Once in Kyiv, Tsemach denied any role in the MH17 attack. Russian officials allegedly soon contacted his lawyer with a direct proposal: “If you keep your mouth shut about MH17, you will be exchanged and come to Russia.”

Tsemach was then included in a high-profile prisoner swap arranged shortly after Volodymyr Zelensky became president. Then-Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, the United States, and several European Parliament members urged Ukraine not to proceed with the exchange. Their efforts failed.

Zelensky viewed the deal as a way to demonstrate his readiness to take the first step toward peace with Russian President Vladimir Putin. American journalist Simon Shuster, who has closely followed Zelensky, provided context for the decision.

“Zelensky would put an end to the war in eastern Ukraine and find a way to bring Putin to reason,” Shuster told NOS. Prisoner swaps had traditionally served as a method “to build trust” between the two countries. When Russia demanded Tsemach’s inclusion, Zelensky made the concession.

At the time, Zelensky was reportedly actively seeking compromise. He ordered Ukrainian troops to withdraw roughly one kilometer from front-line positions and dismantle trenches as a goodwill gesture. The move drew sharp criticism inside Ukraine.

“But Zelensky really wanted to show that he was willing to take the first step toward Putin to reach some kind of peace agreement,” Shuster added.

Tsjervinsky was relieved of his duties just days after the prisoner exchange. In the years since, he has faced intense scrutiny. Investigative journalists have identified him as a key figure behind the 2022 Nord Stream pipeline explosions, an allegation he does not admit but has defended. He also stands accused of abuse of power, bribery, and a failed operation to induce a Russian pilot to defect.

“The political leaders of our country have deviated from their course and started prosecuting people like me. I don’t understand why,” Tsjervinsky told NOS. “We must support the people who actually do something. Instead, the focus these days is on political projects or on personal PR.”