© Emmanuel Dunand / AFPMembers of a joint investigation team present the preliminary results of the criminal investigation into the downing of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 , in Nieuwegein, on September 28, 2016
"No Russian missile systems including 'BUK' have ever crossed the Russian-Ukrainian border,"spokesman for the Russian Defense Ministry Major-General Igor Konashenkov said.
The official reacted to the findings of the Dutch-led Joint Investigative Team (JIT), which issued its report earlier on Wednesday. The JIT claimed that the Malaysian Boeing was downed by a BUK surface-to-air missile launched from a rebel-held area in eastern Ukraine and that the respective missile system had come from Russia.
That theory was countered in today's presentation by the Russian BUK producer Almaz-Antey, who stressed that three of its experiments showed the most likely launch site was in the area held by the Ukrainian Army.
Konashenkov also cast doubts over the sources used by the JIT.
"All the data that has been presented today at the briefing of the investigative group comes from two main sources: the internet and Ukrainian intelligence services. Therefore, the objectivity of the information and, consequently, the basis for their conclusions cannot but raise doubts."
Konashenkov stressed that the claims made by the JIT on Wednesday require rock-solid proof.
"The serious findings that have been made public require serious argumentation and - what's more important - facts."
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