MH17 News: Russia Says Ukraine Involved In Plane's Downing, Provides Evidence

The Russian Ministry of Defense claimed early Monday the missile used to down Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 was produced in 1986 in Moscow region and owned by Ukraine. The revelations were made at a press conference to shed more light into who was responsible behind the crash over eastern Ukraine, killing all 298 people on board.

The Russian military said Monday that videos used by the International Commission as evidence of Moscow's involvement in the crash were fake.

"The images of a tractor, a trailer, and a Buk were built into the image of the corresponding section of the motor road during the production of this video... Many signs of falsification of the video recording were also revealed in an episode showing the movement of the Buk in Luhansk," Russian military reported.

Authorities said the surface to air missile that downed the plane in 2014 was delivered to Ukraine and never transported to Russia.

The Russian military also presented audio proof of Ukraine's links to the downing. The military claimed the Buk missile was repeatedly involved in the so-called anti-terrorist operation in Donetsk and Lugansk.

The defense ministry warned there was a high possibility Ukraine could destroy documentation for the missile -- stored at the Dolgoprudny plant, where it was built -- in order to conceal the truth.

"This is a set of technical documentation that is filled at the manufacturing plant for each manufactured product and stored there, regardless of whether it is in Russia or abroad. Among the documents presented to you is a passport for the nozzle cluster 9D13105000 No. 8-30-113," Nikolai Parshin, chief of the Missile and Artillery Directorate at the Russian Defense Ministry, said.

The ministry also showed the document for the engine of the missile 9D131 with the serial number 8869032. The ministry said missile wreckage found at crash site near Donetsk helped to establish the missile's number.

In July, the G7 demanded Kremlin take responsibility for the downing of the plane.

“We are united in our support of Australia and the Netherlands as they call on Russia to account for its role in this incident and to cooperate fully with the process to establish the truth and achieve justice for the victims of MH17 and their next of kin,” the joint statement by G7 ministers said, ahead of the anniversary of the air disaster on July 17, the Guardian reported.

In May, Australia and the Netherlands said they were holding Russia responsible for the incident, which took place when the plane was en route from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur.

Dutch-led international investigators had concluded the Buk missile belonged to a Russian brigade. However, Russia has denied any involvement.