International prosecutors say the Malaysian airliner shot down in eastern Ukraine just over two years ago was hit by a Russian-made Buk missile launched from a village held by pro-Russian rebels fighting Ukrainian government forces.<br /><br /> The prosecutors – from the Netherlands, Australia, Belgium, Malaysia and Ukraine – say the surface-to-air Buk missile system used to shoot down MH17 was fired from the village of Pervomaysk and was later returned to Russia.<br /><br /> Investigators say it is not clear whether an order had been given for fighters to launch the missile or whether they had acted independently.<br /><br /> <br /><br /><br /><br /> JIT: Flight MH17 was shot down by a BUK missile from a farmland near Pervomaiskyi https://t.co/pPBoGwfSSL— JIT MH17 (@JITMH17) September 28, 2016<br /> <br /><br /> Read a summary of the report here<br /><br /> <br /><br /><br /><br /> What happened to MH17?<br /><br /> <br /><br /><br /><br /> The Boeing 777 broke apart in mid-air, scattering wreckage over several kilometres of fields in rebel-held territory.<br /><br /> At the time of the incident on July 17, 2014, pro-Russian separatists were fighting Ukrainian government forces in the region.<br /><br /> All 298 people on board, most of them Dutch nationals, were killed.<br /><br /> <br /><br /><br /><br /> Why are the findings significant?<br /><br /> <br /><br /><br /><br /> They challenge Moscow’s suggestion that Malaysia Airlines flight 17 (MH17), en route from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur in July 2014, was brought down by the Ukrainian military.<br /><br /> <br /><br /><br /><br /> LIVE #JIT plays conversation between alleged Russian fighters discussing successful BUK delivery 07/16/2014 https://t.co/yIDJg8cnLJ #MH17 pic.twitter.com/AKDkoEXQhl— Sputnik (@SputnikInt) September 28, 2016<br /> <br /><br /> <br /><br /><br /><br /> Will anyone be held to account?<br /><br /> <br /><br /><br /><br /> The prosecutors cannot file charges.<br /><br /> There is no international agreement on what court such a case would be heard in.<br /><br /> However, the victims’ relatives have been seeking details of who shot the plane down in the hope that it might lead eventually to prosecutions over the tragedy.<br /><br /> Investigators say they have identified 100 people whom they describe as being “of interest” to them, but have not yet been formally identified as individual suspects.<br /><br /> <br /><br /><br /><br /> Is this the first investigation?<br /><br /> <br /><br /><br /><br /> No.<br /><br /> A civilian investigation by the Dutch Safety Board last year concluded that MH17 was hit by a Buk missile fired from eastern Ukraine.<br /><br /> Moscow denied that pro-Russian rebels were responsible.<br /><br /> <br /><br /><br /><br /> What has Russia said?<br /><br /> <br /><br /><br /><br /> Repeating earlier denials, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said: “First-hand radar data identified all flying objects which could have been launched or were in the air over the territory controlled by rebels at that moment.”<br /><br /> “The data are clear-cut..there is no rocket. If there was a rocket, it could only have been fired from elsewhere.”<br /><br /> Investigators say they have not had access to the new radar images on which Moscow is basing its latest statements.<br /><br /> <br /><br /><br /><br /> What have the victims’ families said?<br /><br /> <br /><br /><br /><br /> They were informed of the inquiry’s findings shortly before the prosecutors’ news conference on Wed
