Russian secret services may have 'liquidated' troops who shot down MH17 and 'are planting bugs on smartphones and laptops of investigators'

Russian secret services may have executed the troops suspected of shooting down Malaysian Airlines flight MH17, say sources involved in the investigation of the crash over eastern Ukraine.

The Dutch-led probe is leaning towards a conclusion that a BUK missile fired from rebel-held territory downed the Boeing 777, killing all 298 on board.

And it is highly likely the aircraft was shot out of the sky by Russian military personnel, according to a report by the Netherlands' state broadcaster NOS, citing anonymous sources in the police and the group of investigators working on the probe into the plane's loss.

'My sources believe that these people might have changed their identities or even been executed by Russian secret service in order to hide everything,' said Dutch journalist Robert Bas.

Those who allegedly shot the missiles at the Boeing have been 'untraceable' for investigators, it is claimed.

'So in the end there may be no trial, unfortunately, just the report on the results of the investigation,' he added.

Sources close to the investigation also complain they are under siege from persistent attempts by Russian secret services to hack their computer system and plant spyware software on their smartphones, reported NOS.

Phones and laptops used by investigators in Ukraine had to be 'destroyed' subsequently because they were infected with spyware, it was claimed.

Even home communications devices of police officers on the investigation were removed because they were 'contaminated', it was alleged.

The long-awaited probe into the crash of flight MH17 is not due to unveil its findings until October, but NOS says its claims are based on 'several anonymous sources in the police and the group of investigators'.

Russia has strongly and repeatedly denied any role in shooting down MH17, and also dismissed claims that the aircraft was hit by pro-Moscow rebels.

Yet the evidence 'points in one direction', namely a ground-based attack by a BUK missile, it was claimed in Holland.

Despite this, the official probe - which has examined more than one million documents, videos and photographs - has not so far ruled out other versions on the downing of the plane.

'It is a leading version now but not the only one, they are still investigating the other options,' said the journalist.

Investigators were hampered at the crash site by fighting in the region between pro-Moscow rebels and the Ukrainian army.

The Russian media has highlighted claims that MH17 was hit by a Ukrainian warplane in the vicinity at the time of the crash on 17 July 2014.

A suspected 'executioner' - a Ukrainian air force pilot - was even named. Western secret services have also been blamed.

Yesterday, Russian newspaper Komsomolskaya Pravda cited an expert saying that the holes in the fuselage of the crashed plane did not match the damage normally caused by a BUK missile.

'At least 9 holes were found which are typical for the damage from an 'air-to-air' missile, suggesting that MH17 was shot from a plane.

While Western governments have pointed towards a BUK system being responsible for downing the Boeing 777 on 17 July 2014, such a conclusion by an international air crash investigation would be a devastating blow for Moscow.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2982337/Russian-secret-services-liquidated-troops-shot-MH17-planting-bugs-smartphones-laptops-investigators.html