Report Says Malaysia Flight 17 Downed by Russian-Made Missile

A Dutch-led investigation into the mysterious downing of Malaysian Airlines flight 17 has found that the passenger plane was reportedly hit by a missile involved in the Russian-Ukraine conflict.

Investigation officials have suggested that a missile, which carries the same model as the ones used by pro-Russian separatists, reportedly hit the left-hand side of the cockpit as the aircraft carried 298 passengers from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur.

According to the New York Times, the report states that several of the passengers died upon impact, while others likely lost consciousness soon after.

Chairman of the Dutch Safety Board, Tjibbe Joustra, said at a recent press conference that "Flight MH17 crashed as a result of the detonation of a warhead outside the airplane against the left-hand side of the cockpit." 

"This warhead fits the kind of missile that is installed in the BUK surface-to-air missile system," the statement continued.

"We have concluded as a precaution there was sufficient reason for the Ukrainian authorities to close the air space above the eastern part of their country," Joustra added.

Joustra went on to question why the passenger aircraft had been given permission to fly over an area where intense fighting between the Ukraine and Russia was taking place.

"Why was Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 flying over an area where an armed conflict was taking place?" Joustra implored. "The question was on the minds of many people after the crash. The answer was as straightforward as it is disquieting: almost all operators were flying over that area. And why? Because nobody thought that civil aviation was at risk."