Court: Abundance of evidence shows Russian-made missile downed MH17; Prosecutors criticized

The court said "an abundance of evidence" supports the conclusion that Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 was shot down with a Russian-made Buk missile on 17 July 2014 from an agricultural field in eastern Ukraine. The court cited in its verdict, which was read in a courtroom on Thursday, evidence including photographs of a smoke trail, satellite data of the pasture with apparent traces of a fire, transmission tower data and the statements of an anonymous witness.

According to the court, it is also "inconceivable" that this amount of evidence could have been "fabricated." Butterfly-shaped shrapnel fragments used in Buk missiles were also found in the wreckage of the plane and in the bodies of the occupants.

The court said itt has not been established exactly how the crew of the Buk-TELAR acted and who ordered the firing of the missile, and why. It is clear that it could not have happened on a whim. According to the court, it "appears" that people involved thought that shots were fired at a military aircraft instead of a civilian aircraft.

The court began reading the verdict to the gathered prosecutors, defense attorneys, press, and surviving family members at about 1:30 p.m. As of 3 p.m, it was nearing a point to discuss the role of the four suspects. Prosecutors have demanded life imprisonment for all four.

The court also lashed out at the Public Prosecution Service in the decision in the extensive criminal case surrounding the downing of flight MH17. Earlier this year, the Public Prosecution Service had put documents from the criminal file online. This was, "Contrary to a proper legal order," the court said.

The documents were made available online last May in a manner in which anyone could browse through procedural documents via an interactive website. "Unnecessary," the court said, adding that the Public Prosecution Service "violated an express decision of the court."

Nevertheless, the court did not attach any consequences to the action, the court chair said when presenting the verdict. "The court was not affected by this and the defense was not limited." The heaviest sanction, namely the inadmissibility of the Public Prosecution Service, is therefore not warranted, according to the presiding judge.

The lawyers for Oleg Pulatov, the only one of four suspects to be represented, previously expressed their displeasure with the action of the Public Prosecution Service.