Malaysian Airlines MH17 determined hit by Russian 'warhead' killing all 298 passengers

Investigative reports uncover the truth behind MH17's tragic crash

Malaysian Airlines flight MH17 disappeared from radar on July 17, 2014 after travelling over the conflict-hit region in Ukraine, en route from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur. The Malaysian passenger jet crashed close to the border with Russia, killing all 298 passengers. New findings from the Dutch Safety Board reveal MH17 was hit by a Russian-made "warhead" fired from Eastern Ukraine, according to NBC News.

LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic Online) - The investigators have determined the "warhead" exploded just outside the jet's cockpit. Tjibbe Joustra, chairman of the Dutch Safety Board, explained during a press conference that the Boeing 777's crash was caused by "the detonation of a warhead" to the left of the cockpit.

According to Reuters, the warhead was a BUK surface-to-air missile, which are made in Russia. Eastern Ukraine, the area the passenger plane was travelling over, is an area where both government troops and pro-Russia rebels have been in dangerous conflict.

Joustra continued to explain the explosion killed the plane's crew members in the cockpit, determined by the "high energy fragments" found in their bodies. Being less than one yard from the plane's fuselage, the blast also caused "structural damage," causing the jet's "forward part" to tear off. The plane then broke into midair and scattered over a 20-square-mile radius.

However, the BUK missile system's manufacturer also released a report hours before the Dutch Safety Board's report. Almaz-Antey declared its own tests brought about different results than the Dutch reports. According to the company, a detonated BUK missile was near an aircraft like a Boeing 777, but its damage patterns were different to those found in MH17's crash.

The Dutch Safety Board's report also criticized Ukraine authorities, airlines and other countries for not realizing the dangers in flying over the conflict zones. According to the report, "two military aircraft were shot down in the three days before MH17's crash" and this "provided sufficient reason for closing the airspace above the eastern part of Ukraine as a precaution."

"The aviation parties involved did not adequately recognize the risks of the armed conflict," the report stated, according to NBC News.

---

The California Network is the Next Wave in delivery of information and entertainment on pop culture, social trends, lifestyle, entertainment, news, politics and economics. We are hyper-focused on one audience, YOU, the connected generation. JOIN US AS WE REDEFINE AND REVOLUTIONIZE THE EVER-CHANGING MEDIA LANDSCAPE.