Donetsk, Jul 10 – DAN. Ukrainian special services shall torture the Republican air defense ex-commander they kidnapped to get false statements on the 2014 Malaysian Boeing crash, said DPR Foreign Minister Natalia Nikonorova.
“On the fifth anniversary of the MH17 crash Kiev abducted a DPR citizen, the Republican ex-defender Vladimir Tsemakh. Evidently, physical violence was used for that purpose. Obviously, the same methods will be used to get some statements that the Ukrainian side most probably will try to use to falsify facts on the catastrophe,” she said.
Nikonorova reminded that over the five years since the crash no evidence was presented to prove that DPR militia was complicit thereof, as the Republican defense had neither equipment nor motive to bring down an aircraft.
“Tsemakh was appointed as an air defense unit commander in October 2014, three month after the tragedy, but that doesn’t bother Ukraine.”
Five years ago 298 people died when a surface-to-air missile hit the Boeing 777 at cruising altitude. Russia was immediately blamed for the catastrophe even before first investigators reached the scene. Moscow has been denying charges as subsequent investigation revealed that the missile had been launched from the Kiev-controlled territory. This year Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad expressed his doubt over accusations of Russia as “there was not enough evidence to pin the tragedy on Moscow”.*ot