Malaysia Airlines MH17: Signals intercepts reveal pro-Russian separatists claiming responsibility for passenger plane downed over Ukraine

Updated

Ukrainian signals intercepts appear to have captured pro-Russian separatists claiming responsibility for shooting down a Malaysian airliner over rebel-held territory in eastern Ukraine.

Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 crashed en route from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur, killing all 289 people on board, including at least 28 Australians.

Ukraine's Kyiv Post newspaper has posted what it says is a conversation between a separatist commander and Russian intelligence officer Vasili Geranin.

In the transcript, released by Ukraine's security service, the separatist, identified as Igor Bezler, says: "We have just shot down a plane. It fell down beyond Yenakievo (Donetsk Oblast)."

The paper also has a transcript of what it says is a conversation between two separatists identified as "Major" and "Greek".

"The plane fell apart in the air. In the area of Petropavlovskaya mine. The first 200. We have found the first 200 - a civilian," Major says, referring to the codeword for a dead person.

"In short, it was 100 per cent a passenger aircraft.

"These are Chernukhin folks who shot down the plane. From the Chernukhin check point. Those Cossacks who are based in Chernukhino."

The paper also posted part of a third conversation between Cossack commander Nikolay Kozitsin and an unidentified militant.

"Regarding the plane shot down in the area of Snizhne-Torez. It's a civilian one - fell down near Grabove. There are lots of corpses of women and children. The Cossacks are out there looking at all this," the militant says.

"They say on TV it's AN-26 transport plane, but they say it's written Malaysia Airlines on the plane. What was it doing on Ukraine's territory?"

Kozitsin replies: "That means they were carrying spies. They shouldn't be f***ing flying. There is a war going on."

Military analysts have speculated that militants mistook the passenger jet for a military aircraft.

Earlier Ukrainian president Petro Poroshenko said the downing of the airliner was an act of terrorism.

"MH-17 is not an incident or catastrophe, it is a terrorist attack," he tweeted.

Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott has said it would be an "unspeakable crime" if the aircraft was proven to have been shot down.

"If it does turn out that this aircraft was brought down by a surface-to-air missile, there is no doubt this would be - under those circumstances - an unspeakable crime and the perpetrators should swiftly be brought to justice," he said.

US vice-president Joe Biden earlier said the aircraft was "blown out of the sky" and it was "not an accident".

Reuben Johnson from defence publication Jane's Military says all the missile systems in the area of Ukraine where the plane was downed had been seized by separatists.

"We have some telephone recordings that were intercepted by the Ukrainian security service ... that has the separatists talking to each other, saying 'We shot down a plane'," he said.

"So there's not too much that's left to the imagination."

The conversation between Major and Greek, as posted by the Kyiv Post:

Major: These are Chernukhin folks who shot down the plane. From the Chernukhin check point. Those Cossacks who are based in Chernukhino. Greek: Yes, Major. Major: The plane fell apart in the air. In the area of Petropavlovskaya mine. The first 200. We have found the first 200 - a civilian. Greek: Well, what do you have there? Major: In short, it was 100 per cent a passenger aircraft. Greek: Are many people there? Major: Holy sh**t! The debris fell right into the yards [of homes]. Greek: What kind of aircraft? Major: I haven't ascertained this. I haven't been to the main site. I am only surveying the scene where the first bodies fell. There are the remains of internal brackets, seats and bodies. Greek: Is there anything left of the weapon? Major: Absolutely nothing. Civilian items, medicinal stuff, towels, toilet paper. Greek: Are there documents? Major: Yes, of one Indonesian student. From a university in Thompson.

Topics: air-and-space, accidents, disasters-and-accidents, unrest-conflict-and-war, ukraine, russian-federation

First posted