Investigators revealed on Wednesday (19 June) that the nationality of four suspects included three Russians and one Ukrainian.
The Dutch public prosecutor’s office will charge the four suspects for murder in the ongoing investigation of the flight MH17, shot down in 2014 over the separatist east of Ukraine by a Russian missile.
The Dutch-led probe said it was going to prosecute Russian nationals Igor Girkin, Sergey Dubinskiy and Oleg Pulatov as well as Ukrainian Leonid Kharchenko.
Igor Girkin, known as “Strelkov”, is the most high-profile suspect. A former Russian intelligent agent, he led pro-Russian fighters that captured key cities in the region, and led the rebel stronghold of Slavyansk.
Sergei Dubinsky, nicknamed “Khmury”, has been linked to the Russian intelligence service, serving as intelligence chief of the separatists in eastern Ukraine. AFP reports that according to the independent Bellingcat website, Dubinsky had “requested the delivery of a battle-ready BUK missile launcher” - the type of missile investigators said downed MH17.
Oleg Pulatov, nicknamed “Gyurza”, the name of a viper snake, is a former Russian army officer and is said to have helped transport the BUK system to Ukraine.
The whereabouts of Leonid Kharchenko, nicknamed “Krot”, remain unknown. Bellingcat reported that he was responsible for coordinating the transport of the missile launcher to the launch site. He is currently wanted by Kiev for the siege of government buildings.
“There will be a trial on March 9, 2020 against four people accused of murder,” Silene Fredriksz, whose son and daughter-in-law died in the tragedy, said shortly after the families of the victims had been informed by the Dutch authorities.
The findings are of significant interest to Luxembourg people as the Hoare’s, a family of four (Andew, Estella (Vermeulen), Jasper and Friso) who lived in Roeser, were among the 298 passengers and crew members who died on the plane.
