JIT releases new photograph of BUK TELAR. Internet found out in less than 24 hours it was made in Donetsk

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At October 19 2017 the Joint Investigation Team published at their website a previously unknown photograph showing the BUK TELAR which was seen on earlier discovered photos and images on internet. This photo was handed over by an anonymous person, as stated at the website of the Dutch Public Prosecution Service.

After the photo was made public by JIT, internet users started to search for the location the photo was made from. In less than 24 hours internet users found out the location, 78 Ilycha in Donetsk. Two journalists requested local contacts to make  photos from 78 Ilycha in Donetsk . These match exactly the Julu 17,2014 photo. Watch the stone. Left a part of the photo released by JIT. Right a picture of the exact same stone made in Donetsk at October 20, 2017.

The release of the photo at October 19, 2017

The JIT website says:

This picture was probably taken on July 17, 2014 in the town of Makeevka, Ukraine. The JIT presumes that the picture contains the BUK-TELAR which is responsible for downing flight MH17.

The reason JIT published the photo on their website is to ask the public to find out the location the photo was made from.

The JIT requests anyone who has any kind of information about the picture, the vehicles on it and the location where the picture was taken to contact the JIT.

The spokeswomen for the Dutch prosecutor is quoted in Washington Post

The photo of the missile, which investigators believe was likely taken in the Ukrainian town of Makeevka on the day the flight was shot down, was recently received via a website to which members of the public can anonymously post evidence, said Elsbeth Kleibeuker, a spokeswoman for the Dutch National Prosecution Office.

 

The route of the BUK

We know quite a lot about the route the BUK transport took.

There are severall witness who saw the BUK in Donetsk. Like this user who sent a .

A Buk was on a trawl, surrounded by fighters, in Donetsk at the intersection at Prospekt Ilycha at 9:15am

The time mentioned in the Tweet matches the time of the photo is Suncalc is used. The tweet was sent 6 minutes prior to a VK post mentioning a BUK as well, at 10:34!

This is a Facebook post mentioning the presence of the BUK in Donetsk. It says:

“Euromaidan. Repost as much as possible. Dear inhabitants of Donetsk. Yesterday around 9.00-9.15 in the morning a ‘Buk’ on a carrier was spotted at the crossing of the Ilitsja road and the Boulevard of the Miners in front of the traffic lights on the left side of the lane. We ask those who have photographs or videorecordings to send them by private message. We guarantee anonimity. The information is required by international observers”

Australian TV station SBS One had an interview with an anonymous eyewitness. He stated he saw the BUK in Donetsk. He wanted to be anonymous because of fear. The eyewitness saw it was a surface to air system with 4 missiles loaded on it. See the fragment here at 15:00

The eyewitness likely stated that he saw the BUK at 09:00 in Donetsk. The presenter of the program in fact told this.

This is the route the BUK transport took. Approached from Makiivka (westward), stopped at circled area, then did a u-turn eastward. Note the one-way paths on the boulevards. (map via Aric Toler)

Geolocation of the spot the picture was made from

JIT states the photo was probably taken in Makeevka (Makiivka in Ukrainian). However the internet has another opion. Theborder of the Makeevka area is about 4 km distance from the location many people believe the photo was taken.

Now lets have a look if the wisdom of the crowd is able to geolocate where the photo was taken. There are two forums still very active on MH17 which are mh17.webtalk.ru and forum.smolensk.ru. Also after publication of the photo, Bellingcat started a search for the location here.

Within hours several people suggested the photo was taken at 78 Ilycha in Donetsk, facing south. Most likely the photographer was near the beautysalon. That is the shop with the blue letters where the arrow starts from. Notice the footpath is lower then the streetlevel.

This is the streetview version of Yandex.

The photo shows the area at 78 Ilycha. The green box is roughly the location the photo was made from.

Here is another indication of the view of the photographer. (source Kemet at mh17.webtalk.ru )

If the look at the shadows, and the bright lit back of the car, we can calculate the time the photo was made on using Suncalc tool.

Suncalc tells us the photo was made around 09:15. (Estimation by  )

This photos shows similarities between trees

This video shows the road as faced by the BUK TELAR. At 54 seconds the place is pased where the photo was made.

 

The BUK seems to be parked at the most left lane. Mind the fence on the right.

Here a better picture of the same fence (via mh17.webtalk.ru)

 

In the photo below we are facing west, in the same direction of which the transport was facing. (photo by mh17.webtalk.ru). To the right the beautysalon where the photo was likely made from.

Arnold Greidanus suggests that a a reflection of a pole supporting Donetsk cable car electricity line is seen in the window of the black VW Transporter. This VW Transporter is seen in various videos of the BUK transport.

Location Donetsk confirmed by locals

At October 20 some people on Twitter confirmed they saw the BUK TELAR parked in Donetsk. A user wit handle say saw black cars and about 7-10 people.

v on October 20 confirms the location as well.

Photos made at location match the BUK photo

Dutch reporter Rudy Bouma who works for Nieuwsuur asked one of his contacts to go to 78 Ilycha in Donetsk and made photos. Below are the photos he published

Also journalist  published a photo taken from the 78 Ilycha in Donetsk .

Same BUK as seen in Torez (now Chystiakove).

The BUK seen on the October 19 released photo is 100% sure the same one seen in the other videos and photographs. The photograph made in Torez (now called Chystiakove) shows the same camouflage netting.

Bellingcat has some more details on the similarities in this post.

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