Does this deleted Google Earth July 16 image show the BUK which downed MH17?
Google Earth released early June 2016 satellite images taken over Eastern Ukraine at July 16 2014. However a few days after these images were released, the images were deleted by Google for unknown reasons. Eliot Higgins stated that the deletion was some sort of error. However as per June 15 the July 16 2014 images are not online.
Could the deletion on the July 16 images be because it shows what could be a BUK parked near the alleged launch area south of Snizhne?
The object on the photo could be a BUK. But it could be a truck with a white cabine as well.
If a BUK was already in the area at July 16 2014 or maybe even a couple of days before, the Bellingcat and SBU narrative of a BUK supplied by Russia and transported at July 17 would be false.
There are more indications that the videos and photos released of the transport were not all taken at July 17. For instance the telephone conversation between two separatists leaders. If this telephone conversation did took place, it indicates that Ukraine was well before July 17 aware of presence of BUK systems in Ukraine.
Another indication Ukraine knew about the presence of BUKs in Eastern Ukraine was the bombing of a separatists complex in the city of Snizhne. The aircraft dropped the bomb too early which resulted in destroying an apartment and killing 11 people.
It would mean that Ukraine was aware of the presence of one or multiple BUKs in the area before July 17. Despite this awareness Ukraine decided not to close its airspace for commercial airtraffic.
The BUK is shown in the red circle. The alleged launch location is at the left of the photo. The coordinates are 47.973088, 38.768814
Closeup
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thx for that pic – do u have coordinates?
See this post https://whathappenedtoflightmh17.com/does-this-google-earth-july-16-image-show-the-buk-which-downed-mh17/
Excellent post Deus Abscondis. What do you make of the alleged similarity between a buk seen in Eastern Ukraine around this time and a buk seen previously in Russia?
Why did Google only release these images two years later?
They do business. They choose what they release freely, you need to buy the rest.
Old sat images are not worh a lot of money, therefore they one day usually became available for free.
Did not realize they are that separate. Anyway Google use Digital Globe material, Digital Globe as money for it (perhaps one can then also pay to hide some date/area)..
related:
http://spacenews.com/why-you-wont-find-digitalglobes-best-imagery-on-google-maps/
Google always used several sources, as you can see when browsing historical timelines in Google Earth. It also depends on the regions. Although since GeoEye was merged with DG at some point, technically those instances would count now as DG as well. But DigitalGlobe also provides Terraserver and Apple. Could we speak of a monopoly here? There are the SPOT satelites of Astrium (French-European) as only other large commercial competitor I know of.
Of interest here is that DigitalGlobe got legal permission from the US since *June 2014*, one month before M17, to start selling <50cm resolutions commercially.
Sources: Wikipedia, Google Earth and many other articles any searchengine would provide. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DigitalGlobe#Customers
This isn`t Buk. Most likely it is 2S1 Gvozdika waiting in ambus. For example: https://pp.vk.me/c623727/v623727709/41705/QIZc0HjKwJY.jpg
The direction of suuposed attack – south-east.
http://storage1.censor.net.ua/images/d/b/7/e/db7e109b547a8ba45e9cf60909cfb57e/720×631.jpg
The situation at the fronts by Ukrainian side: the situation on the fronts. Look at the most narrow strip near Torez.
It has some similarities with gvozdika. But was there anything to shoot at, unless they planned to shoot at their own troops (again)?
According to militia reports they almost got to RU border already 16Jul.
Here you see those militia reports etc:
So we see on the first map of your link that on July 16 militia attacked Marinovka on July 15th from Stepanovka which is situated in front of the position of suposed 2S1 just in 5 km across the fields (U can take a ruller and measure the distance by yourself). If U look at Wikipedia article about 2S1, U would find out, that it is a “howitzer”. Do U know, what it means? -Yes, it means that the range of this weapon is much more longer, then that of classic guns. So the usage of this gun on the front line would be a big boner.
If militia is shooting it`s own troops… why the Ukrainian army is still losing the war?
Thank U for your proof link. It just proves my version).
Yeah. 9km to Marynivka that militia captured during 16Jul.
And the range Gvozdika is 15+ kilometers, so you are right.
Could be ok place for gvozdika.
On the photo we see see typical for the former USSR road, the width of which is regulated by State Standarts and cann`t be more than 7.5 m. By visual comparing the length of the unknown object with the road width the conclusion can be made: this cann`t be Buk(9,3 m). By deleting the image Google has helped this great expert Mr. Higgins not to make one more mistake.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roads_in_Ukraine
A BUK launcher is not 9.3m long. More like 8.3m. The shape in the image measures out to near that dimension and to around 3.25m wide. The secondary whitish shape measures out 5.5m from the rear of the vehicle, correct length for a BUK missile. I have the picture scaled in a drafting program.
What do U mean by “more like 8.3m”? Try to google instead of estimating when it is possible. The official data is – 9,3 m for 9A310 Telar. https://ru.scribd.com/doc/304960110/Worldwide-Equipment-Guide-2014-FINAL-Vol-2-Air-and-Air-Defense :
“Launcher Vehicle:
Name: 9A310M1 or BUK-M1 Description: TELAR Crew: 4 Combat Weight (mt): 32.34 for TELAR Chassis: GM-569 armored tracked for CP, radar, TELAR, launcher-loader Description: TELAR Length (m): 9.3 Height (m): 3.8 travel/7.72 deployed Width (m): 3.25”
BTW the faulcity of Your statement makes the accurasy of your methods quastionable.
Some people, including Kemet, use 8.3 m for the Buk length while doing calculations (the bulk length without handles or guards – what matters for a sat view).
E.g.: http://s017.radikal.ru/i430/1604/02/a0576128b037t.jpg
I have a scaled Engineering drawing of a BUK in CAD. It is 8.33m. Missiles are 5.55m.
You can measure BUKs clearly visible at military bases in Google Earth to confirm.
9.3m length comes when deployed with the radar dime and launch shoe turned 180 degrees from its position for travel (travel – missile nozzles over driving cav; deployed in line, radar done over driving cab)
> On the photo we see see typical for the former USSR road, the width of which is regulated by State Standarts and cann`t be more than 7.5 m.
That a pretty wield way for measuring the length of the vehicle. Why not simply overlay the picture over existing google map to get a precise length scale?