Germany 'Was Told of Risk' of Flying over Ukraine Just Before Flight MH17 Was Shot Down - But 'FAILED to Pass on Warning'
- German government 'knew of risk of flying over Ukraine', it is claimed
- Diplomatic cables refer to Ukrainian air force plane shot down on 14 July 2014
- Malaysia Airlines's flight MH17 was shot down on 17 July last year
Daily Mail UK, 27 April 2015
The German government had been warned of a heightened risk of flying over eastern Ukraine just days before the MH17 disaster last year, it has been claimed.
Despite being told of the risk of flying over Ukraine in diplomatic cables sent two days before the crash, Germany failed to pass on the warning, local media reported.
Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 was shot down over rebel-held territory in eastern Ukraine on 17 July, and all 298 aboard were killed.
Warning: Despite being told of the risk of flying over Ukraine in diplomatic cables two days before the MH17 crash, the German government failed to pass on the warning
German foreign ministry cables sent on July 15, cited an incident from the day before when a Ukrainian air force plane was shot down at around 20,000 feet over rebel-held territory.
German intelligence had repeatedly warned of the risk to aviation security, and had assessed the downing of the Ukrainian military plane on July 14 as a 'significant development because of its altitude', German public TV channels NDR and WDR reported.
Earlier this month, the Dutch government - which lost 189 citizens in the disaster - said that, with nearly all of the victims identified, efforts had shifted to finding those responsible for shooting the plane down as it flew over Ukraine last July.
After a meeting of foreign ministers from Malaysia, Ukraine and Australia on the sidelines of a cyber-security conference in The Hague, Holland's Foreign Minister Bert Koenders said there was general agreement on this course of action.
Tragedy: Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 was shot down over rebel-held territory in eastern Ukraine on July 17 last year, and all 298 aboard were killed
'Now that we're very far with repatriation (of the victims' remains), investigation and prosecution are becoming more central,' Koenders said in a statement.
'The ministers believe that prosecution is not only important for the countries with victims on board. Civil aviation is vulnerable and every safety violation is a concern shared worldwide.'
Forensics laboratories in the Netherlands have identified remains of 296 of the 298 MH17 victims and recovered large parts of the wreckage for investigation.
Prosecutors are testing the theory that the plane was shot down by a surface-to-air BUK missile fired from an area held by pro-Russian forces.
Because two-thirds of the victims were Dutch citizens, the Netherlands is leading several post-crash investigations.
The final report is due to be published in October.