Flight MH17 investigation shows ‘no proof’ that Russia was behind attack, says Russian President Vladimir Putin

‘What we’ve seen as evidence of Russia’s guilt absolutely does not suit us. We believe that there is no proof there,’ Putin said

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Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks during an annual nationwide televised phone-in show in Moscow. Photo: Reuters

Published: 11:30pm, 20 Jun 2019Updated: 3:41am, 21 Jun 2019

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday the international community had failed to provide any evidence that Moscow was behind the shooting down of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 in which 298 people died.

“What we’ve seen as evidence of Russia’s guilt absolutely does not suit us. We believe that there is no proof there,” Putin told reporters.

On Wednesday, international investigators charged three Russians and a Ukrainian, the first people to face justice over the catastrophe in eastern Ukraine in July, 2014.

The investigators did not implicate any Russian commanders or the Kremlin, but they released what they said was an intercept of a conversation between Putin’s aide Vladislav Surkov and a senior separatist, Alexander Borodai, on July 11, 2014.

In the intercepted phone call Borodai is heard asking for military aid from Russia.

Surkov is heard replying that he had spoken with “the most senior comrades – cannot get any more senior than that – who are in charge of this whole military story” and that they said the aid was on its way.

Flight MH17 investigation shows ‘no proof’ that Russia was behind attack, says Russian President Vladimir Putin

.css-1mniedq{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;}‘What we’ve seen as evidence of Russia’s guilt absolutely does not suit us. We believe that there is no proof there,’ Putin said

‘What we’ve seen as evidence of Russia’s guilt absolutely does not suit us. We believe that there is no proof there,’ Putin said