Dutch Investigators: Solid Evidence Russian Missile Downed Malaysian Jet

Criminal investigators say they have solid evidence that a Russian missile was used to bring down Malaysian Airlines Flight 17.

The Boeing 777 crashed in July of 2014 over eastern Ukraine as it was flying from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur. All 298 on board of the plane died.

The Joint Investigation Team, led by the Dutch, now say the Buk missile was moved into Ukraine from Russia.

Wilbert Paulissen, head of the Central Crime Investigation department of the Dutch National Police, said communications intercepts showed that pro-Moscow rebels called for deployment of the weapon and reported its arrival in Ukraine. 

"It may be concluded MH17 was shot down by a 9M38 missile launched by a Buk, brought in from the territory of the Russian Federation, and that after launch was subsequently returned to the Russian Federation," Paulissen told a news conference.

Russia has repeatedly denied pro-Moscow rebels in eastern Ukraine were responsible for the crash.

The Russian military said new radio-location data showed the missiles did not originate from rebel-controlled territory and said they would turn the data over to investigators.

"If there was a rocket, it could only have been launched from a different area," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters, referring to Russian radar data. "You can't argue with it; it can't be discussed."

Investigators are working with Australia, Belgium, Malaysia, and Ukraine to gather the best possible evidence for use in prosecution of the perpetrators.