Breaking news: Malaysian Airliner shot down over Ukraine

[telemann.livejournal.com]

A Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777 with 295 people aboard crashed on Thursday in eastern Ukraine near the Russian border, an area roiled by fighting between pro-Russian separatists and Ukrainian forces. Ukrainian officials said the plane might have been shot down, possibly by a Russian-made antiaircraft system. Eastern Ukraine has been roiled for months by a violent pro-Russian separatist uprising in which a number of military aircraft have been downed. But this would be the first commercial airline disaster to result from the hostilities. Despite the turmoil in eastern Ukraine, the commercial airspace over that part of the country is a heavily trafficked route and has remained open.



New York Times with more information, video and analysis.


The incident touched off immediate finger-pointing between Russian separatists and the Ukrainian government. Eastern Ukraine separatist leader Alexander Borodai told Reuters that Ukrainian military forces shot the jet down, but Kiev denied involvement and labeled the incident a "terrorist act." The President of Ukraine on behalf of the State expresses its deepest and most sincere condolences to the families and relatives of those killed in this terrible tragedy," said a statement released by Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko's office. "Every possible search and rescue effort is being made." Separatist groups reportedly blocked Ukrainian officials from the scene, and later said the "black box," or flight data recorder, had been sent to Moscow. KT McFarland, a former deputy assistant secretary of defense under President Ronald Reagan, and a Fox News national security analyst said the attack was most likely the work of Russian separatists, not the Russian or Ukrainian armies.

Source.

Comments

[hardblue.livejournal.com]

Malaysian Airlines flight #MH17 (https://twitter.com/hashtag/MH17?src=hash) reported to have been shot down by BUK-M1 [aka SA-11] surface-to-air missile system pic.twitter.com/UWwFifWhZr (http://t.co/UWwFifWhZr)

— NATOSource (@NATOSource) July 17, 2014 (https://twitter.com/NATOSource/statuses/489804662816903168)

Needless to add, advanced mobile air defense systems like the Buk/SA-11 are not in the inventory of most "rebel groups" in the world.

— John Schindler (@20committee) July 17, 2014 (https://twitter.com/20committee/statuses/489798248581046272)

[telemann.livejournal.com]

Russian news sites removing stories about Russian fighters who shot down jet (which turned out to be #MH17 (https://twitter.com/hashtag/MH17?src=hash) airliner) pic.twitter.com/N0TAUQNHkU (http://t.co/N0TAUQNHkU)

— Ukraine Reporter (@StateOfUkraine) July 17, 2014 (https://twitter.com/StateOfUkraine/statuses/489852832921559040)

Russian news sites removing stories about Russian fighters who shot down jet (which turned out to be #MH17 airliner) . It's pretty crazy with all the accusations going back and forth right now.

[fostral2.livejournal.com]

"sad but true..."

[mudryikot.livejournal.com]

Edit: was meant as a mainline comment, not a reply, sorry.

A view from Russia for y'all.
1. Lots of people and news channels here are talking about how the latest US sanctions are going to affect our economy (including contracts with parties in third countries where US dollars are used).
2. Donetsk self-defense forces have on 29th June announced that they have captured some Buk's from Ukranian military. So whoever shot the plane down (if it was shot down) the origins of the system it was shot down with is unclear. Anyhow Buk (which is Russian for "beech" - a kind of tree, there is a long-standing tradition of naming anti-aircraft rocket systems for trees) is not the only kind of AA system which could have reached 10100 meters).

Anyways, when US had problems with its own wayward provinces, our country was on the side of your federal government. Tells something about answering good with ingratitude.

[fizzyland.livejournal.com]

Hey, we gave Russia a pass on invading Georgia.

I wouldn't classify the sovereign nation of the Ukraine a "wayward province".

[fostral2.livejournal.com]

to say "our country" about Russia can only 10-15 people.
I think, you not included in this list

[enders-shadow.livejournal.com]

I, as an American, am glad that the Russian economy is starting to feel the impact of our sanctions.

Invading Crimea was intolerable, and without resorting to force, economic sanctions are the best way we have of saying: "That was NOT! acceptable."

I'm not claiming to know who shot down the airplane--Ukrainian forces, militia forces, Russian military forces, I don't know.

I *DO* know that Russia has been using military might in an expansionist manner, and that category of behavior MUST be punished.

Wayward provinces.....yeah, not even a little. Russian military soldiers rolling in on Russian military equipment to a country that is NOT Russia--worse yet, the Russian soldiers were all wearing masks and NOT wearing identifying uniforms. That is, if memory serves, a violation of Geneva convention--soldiers must be identifiable. Russia violated international law as well as common sense by using military might to annex Crimea.

What did you think the rest of the world would do? Nothing? Of course we impose sanctions--if those sanctions were not felt, they would be meaningless.

[farchivist.livejournal.com]

Lots of people and news channels here are talking about how the latest US sanctions are going to affect our economy (including contracts with parties in third countries where US dollars are used).

Tough shit for them. *shrugs* Don't act like an ass, don't get sanctions.

Donetsk self-defense forces have on 29th June announced that they have captured some Buk's from Ukranian military. So whoever shot the plane down (if it was shot down) the origins of the system it was shot down with is unclear.

What about the rumors that the Buk was supplied by Putin on the sly?

Anyways, when US had problems with its own wayward provinces, our country was on the side of your federal government.

...
The Ukraine, sir, is not a "wayward province". The Donetsk People's Republic, part of the so-called Federal State of Novorossiya, is in rebellion against the Ukrainian federal government. They will be put down like the Ukrainian traitors they are and their rebellion as a wayward province against the rightful Ukrainian will be stopped.
In this case, Russia is siding with the Confederates, not the Union. More, they are siding with fascists - even you cannot deny that it is the Russian National Unity party in charge, and the RNU are verified Neo-Nazis.

[mudryikot.livejournal.com]

Whatever else - back to the plane issue.
Does anyone here read Spanish? One of our news agencies claims that this twitter https://twitter.com/spainbuca is a Spanish air control employee who says that just before the crash he observed to Ukranian interceptors near the Malaysian plane.

[jom-art.livejournal.com]

yes, I can read Spanish. The guys said he saw 2 Ukrainian fighter jets right before plane disappeared from their radars. Operator was amazed how fast it happened.

[fizzyland.livejournal.com]

Surface to air missiles are blamed, meaning Russian anti-aircraft placements.

[lafinjack.livejournal.com]

[hardblue.livejournal.com]

[cypukambl.livejournal.com]

What a nice piece of evidence! They`re talking about "cossaks from Chernukhino chekpoint shooting down the plain".
Damn!
It looks like cossaks are still not outdated! Demi-regular cavalry rules the sky!

[johnny9fingers.livejournal.com]

If this is as it seems, I think our genius chess player has a few rogue, badly-informed, badly-trained, but very well-equipped pawns.

The best laid plans of mice and men gang aft agley... or some such.

[cypukambl.livejournal.com]

By the way. Ukraine has an experience in shooting down civilian airplanes. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siberia_Airlines_Flight_1812 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siberia_Airlines_Flight_1812)

[telemann.livejournal.com]

So does Russia.

[mudryikot.livejournal.com]

Early morning in Moscow today - people are bringing flowers to embassies of Netherlands and Malaysia:

D'oh. videos don't want to embed;
See here http://tvzvezda.ru/news/vstrane_i_mire/content/201407180932-59ko.htm#
and here http://www.m24.ru/videos/56608?attempt=1

[aviv-b.livejournal.com]

Well that's nice. But if Russia or its proxies shot that plane down (which is by no means certain at this time), they're going to need a lot more flowers.

[telemann.livejournal.com]

A friend of mine mentioned that on Russian social media there's been a lot of public grieving over what happened.

[hardblue.livejournal.com]

[telemann.livejournal.com]

Ouch! Thanks for posting these!

[yes-justice.livejournal.com]

Wow.

[yes-justice.livejournal.com]

Fuck, that's awful. I just found out today.

"Working to see if Americans are on board"

Yeah. Check the color of our blood, its red white and blue.

[mudryikot.livejournal.com]

[mudryikot.livejournal.com]

Russian General Staff has issued a comprehensive briefing showing positions of Ukranian AA and aerial military assets at the time of crash. Apparently the Malaysian plane was within range of Ukranian SAMs and Ukranian radar activity peaked at the date of the crash. Also, presence of Ukranian SU-25 interceptor near the airliner just before the accident. Malaysian airliner (apparently on orders of Ukranian air traffic control authorities) has strayed from its pre-planned and pre-logged course. Finally, it was announced that a US recon satellite was overflying that territory exactly at the time of the crash. So far, US authorities did not release any data that may shed the light on the accident.