MH17 Wreckage Photo Shows Evidence of Shrapnel

The Financial Times posted a photo of what appears to be wreckage from the Malaysian Airlines jetliner peppered with shrapnel damage from an anti-aircraft missile.

The international community has pressed for an investigation into the cause of the Malaysian Airlines Flight MH-17 crash, However, many, including U.S. officials, have said the evidence points to pro-Russian separatists shooting down the passenger jet with an advanced surface-to-air missile system capable of hitting an aircraft flying at 33,000 feet.

The photographed wreckage above adds to that mounting collection of evidence.

SAM systems destroy aircraft by exploding in the airspace in which the aircraft is flying. The resulting shrapnel destroys the aircraft.

Reports have surfaced of a Russian SA-11 system moving in eastern Ukraine, a medium sized SAM system that would produce shrapnel about the size of the holes seen in the Financial Times photo. The Buk M1 system also has the range to hit an aircraft traveling at that speed and altitude.

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July 21st, 2014 | Air | 71 Comments