Putin approved supply of missiles that shot down MH17 in 2014, investigators say

FILE PHOTO: Russian President Vladimir Putin chairs a meeting with members of the Security Council via a video link at the Novo-Ogaryovo state residence outside Moscow, Russia, February 3, 2023. Sputnik/Pavel Byrkin/Kremlin via REUTERS

AMSTERDAM (Reuters) - The international team investigating the 2014 downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 (MH17) by a missile has convincing evidence that Russian President Vladimir Putin personally signed off on a decision to allow the Russian missile system into Ukraine, Dutch prosecutors said on Wednesday.

The BUK-TELAR missile system was used to shot down MH17 on its way from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur over eastern Ukraine on July 17, 2014, investigators said.

However, they said the evidence was not enough to lead to prosecution.

(Reporting by Bart Meijer; Editing by Kevin Liffey)