Russian Ambassador says intercepts were fabricated

SUHASINI HAIDAR

“A transparent and objective investigation must take place into shooting down of MH17”

Russia is hitting back against allegations that it was involved in the shooting down of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 that crashed in Ukraine on Thursday.

In an interview to The Hindu, Russian Ambassador Alexander Kadakin said the intercepts that a Russian military officer had spoken to separatist rebels who claimed they had shot down the airplane were “fabricated”.

“The so-called intercepts are fabricated fakes, pre-recorded one day before the tragic air crash. Anyone could see it on YouTube. Besides, experts have proved that they are a montage of several separate cuttings done much before the airliner was shot down,” Mr. Kadakin claimed.

Responding to the Ukrainian Ambassador to India Oleksandr Shevchenko’s statement in an interview to The Hindu, Mr. Kadakin countered, “Fakes cannot serve as an arsenal of arguments in diplomacy. Before blaming anybody for the tragedy, a transparent and objective investigation must take place.” Mr. Kadakin said Russia had condoled the deaths of those onboard the ill-fated airliner, but questioned the Ukrainian government’s statement blaming pro-Russian rebels in Donetsk for shooting it down with a SA-17 Buk missile shortly after the crash.

“Can anyone in sane mind blame any country for its responsibility for the disaster ten minutes after the crash took place, as was broadcast from Kiev? It is à la Goebbels propaganda,” he added.

He also questioned why Ukraine had directed passenger planes into the dangerous area at all.

http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/russian-ambassador-says-intercepts-were-fabricated/article6231227.ece?homepage=true