Suspected Russian missile parts found at MH17 crash site in Ukraine

Kim Hjelmgaard | USA TODAY

Show Caption Hide Caption Possible bulk missile parts found at MH17 site Dutch prosecutors said Tuesday that they have found parts that may belong to a Buk missile system among the recovered wreckage of Malaysia Airlines fight 17 that was shot down over eastern Ukraine last year. (August 11)

Investigators said Tuesday that suspected Russian missile parts were found near where Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 crashed in eastern Ukraine last year.

"The parts are of particular interest to the criminal investigation as they can possibly provide more information about who was involved in the crash of MH17," the Joint Investigation Team said in a statement with the Dutch Safety Board.

The development marks the first time investigators confirmed potential physical evidence related to the July 17, 2014, crash that killed all 298 people on board.

Investigators nevertheless stopped short of linking the crash of MH17 to the the new find, which the team and board said contains components possibly from a Russian-made Buk surface-to-air missile system.

"At present the conclusion cannot be drawn that there is a causal connection between the discovered parts and the crash of Flight MH17," the team wrote.

The investigation team is made up of representatives of the Netherlands, Ukraine, Malaysia, Australia, the United Kingdom, United States and Russia.

MH17 crashed on territory in Ukraine held by Russian-backed rebels while it was en route from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The rebels and Ukrainian government forces blamed each other for shooting down the plane, with the latter accusing the rebels of using a Buk missile system supplied by Moscow.

Both sides deny responsibility, and Russia also disputes the allegations from Kiev.

A full report on the criminal investigation into the crash is due by the end of the year. The Dutch Safety Board also plans to release a report, likely in October.