“If this is indeed a passenger liner, we didn’t do it” – first statements from separatist leaders and the evolvement of the Su-25 narrative
guest blog by Arnold Greidanus
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Summary
In the immediate aftermath of the downing of MH17 several separatist leaders made contradicting statements, ascribing the downing to both an Ukrainian SU-25 fighter jet and the Ukrainian Air Defense. These first statements are presented in this article. Also, this article will show how the narrative of a SU-25 evolved that afternoon and evening from being downed by separatists and falling in the area of the crash sites of Grabovo and Rozsypne, to crashing near Krasnyi Luch, and finally to fleeing away in the direction of Debaltseve.
This post has been transferred to Arnold Greidanus’ site.
For the full text go to: http://www.arnoldg.xyz/if-this-is-indeed-a-passenger-liner/
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I’ve just recalled: http://echo.msk.ru/programs/personalno/1373814-echo/
Dmitry Muratov, the editor-in-chief of the Russian newspaper “Novaya Gazeta”, August 7, 2014:
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D.MURATOV – I know that Alexander Borodai phoned the head of one of the mainstream media which covered events in Ukraine, in about 40 minutes after the Boeing had fallen, and said that “apparently, we shot down a civil airplane”.
K.ORLOVA – Is this true?
D.MURATOV – I am told and said about this by the persons whose words I am used to take seriously.
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Of course, Borodai refused to confirm Muratov’s statement.
I know that story too. It was also written about at: http://www.interpretermag.com/novaya-gazeta-editor-boroday-called-moscow-press-about-downing-of-civilian-airliner/
I have some doubts on it: would Borodai still have phrased his statement to Ria Novosti at 19:00 the way he did, if he had already been in contact with Muratov around 17:00? I don’t think so.
Borodai was not in contact with Muratov. This info leaked to Muratov from the head of the undisclosed MSM via Muratov’s acquaintances. As for the statement to RIA, this might be said by Borodai much earlier, within the first 40 minutes after the shotdown. And I am not sure it was phrased like that actually.
You’re right. I should have checked the precise story again before commenting. Nevertheless, the time gap in between the phone call around 17:00 and the Ria Novosti story published at 19:00 seems quite large.
Muratov might well mean this talk between Borodai and the head of Ria Novosti (D.Kiselyov). In this case Ria Novosti for sure would ask for an approval from above to publish such sensitive info, and/or would coordinate with them on appropriate content and wording of what may be published. So the published words may be not what Borodai really said.
Ria Novosti news story at 17:13 quoting their witness: “An AN-26 was flying over the town at about 16:00 local time. We saw him hit a rocket”
This is obviously false: impossible time, wrong identification (and would require good eye!) and unlikely the rocket “hit” would be seen (a brief contrail perhaps).
It disqualifies this news item as carrying any weight. It might have been a “stock” witness based on the July 14th incident, who knows.