U.S. Ties Russia to Downed Jet

U.S. Points to Russian Missile Connection in Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 Crash
Russia Cited As Likely Supplier of Deadly Antiaircraft Missile



U.S. officials say they now suspect that Russia supplied the rebels with multiple SA-11 antiaircraft systems, like the one shown above in this file photo from May. Associated Press
New U.S. intelligence assessments indicate that Moscow likely provided pro-Russia separatists in eastern Ukraine with sophisticated antiaircraft systems in recent days, matching evidence put forward by Ukraine and bolstering charges that Russia was the source of the weapon that shot down Malaysia Airlines 3786.KU -11.11% Flight 17 this week, killing 298.


U.S. officials say they now suspect that Russia supplied the rebels with multiple SA-11 antiaircraft systems by smuggling them into eastern Ukraine with other military equipment, including tanks.
Further, U.S. officials believe the systems were moved back across the border into Russia following the shoot down of the jetliner, buttressing what Ukraine charges is an attempt by the

"The assumption is they're trying to remove evidence of what they did," said a senior U.S. official briefed on the latest intelligence.

The expanding case against the Ukrainian separatists and the Kremlin comes as U.S. and Western leaders have swapped rounds of phone calls since Friday, calling for greater pressure against Moscow and a renewed effort to secure the chaotic crash site in eastern Ukraine and ensure that human remains receive proper attention. Secretary of State John Kerry phoned his Russian counterpart on the issue Saturday.

The added certainty that the SA-11 systems likely were in rebel hands also poses questions about why Ukraine or U.S. officials didn't move more quickly to advise commercial jetliners of potential dangers, if there was time after they learned of possible rebel control of the systems.
Moscow has continued to deny supplying armed separatists with heavy weapons, despite mounting evidence to the contrary put forward by U.S. officials. "We know there are Russian troops inside Ukraine," said a U.S. official. "Russian troops, Russian equipment."

Intelligence disclosures by Ukrainian and U.S. security officials reveal a higher degree of military cooperation from Moscow to the Ukrainian rebels than was understood before the passen

Russian President Vladimir Putin has expressed condolences to families for the shoot down, but said that the Ukrainian government is responsible for failing to keep the peace in its eastern provinces. The Kremlin has stopped short of blaming Ukraine's military for the catastrophe.

No expert air crash investigators have yet had access to the rural crash site since Flight 17 was shot down on Thursday afternoon, and in the absence of an independent investigation U.S. and regional intelligence officials have been poring over satellite and electronic intercepts seeking clues about the cause of the crash.

Consensus among intelligence agencies is growing that the Buk-M1 antiaircraft systems, also known as the SA-11 Gadfly under the North Atlantic Treaty Organization designation, was the weapon used to down the plane as it traveled from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur on Thursday.

U.S. and Ukrainian intelligence officials say that Russia introduced this type of missile battery into the conflict zone in eastern Ukraine earlier this month, significantly altering the threat assessment of the

Ukraine, which has been battling the separatists since the spring, [url=http://online.wsj.com/articles/ukraine-accuses-russia-of-shooting-down-fighter-jet-1405600196?KEYWORDS=ukraine jet]has lost several military planes[/url] and helicopters from missiles operated by the pro-Russia militias. The range of these weapons systems, however, was li

Reports that rebels had possession of a Buk-M1 came as early as June 29, when separatists overran a Ukrainian armed-forces base in the conflict zone in eastern Ukraine. The rebels boasted of seizing control of the weapons system in a Russian news report.

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