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Ukraine Plane Crash
Satellite images released Sunday show what the U.S. government says is evidence that Russian forces are firing rockets and heavy artillery into Ukraine in support of pro-Russian rebels. The four black and white images, which were taken between July 21 and July 26, were released by the State Department and include captions from the Director of National Intelligence. They support the U.S. government’s recent claim that Russia appeared to be moving heavy artillery systems toward Ukraine. Russian officials have denied involvement in the conflict.
One image shows the
Ukrainian and Russian border area, and what are said to be the results
of rocket fire, including impact craters on one side and blast marks on
the other.
Director of National Intelligence
Other images show what
are described as Russian self-propelled artillery that are “oriented in
the direction” of a Ukrainian military unit, as well as a before and
after shot of a Ukrainian unit that is said to have been fired on by an
artillery strike. The images were released as fighting escalated
between Russian separatists and Ukrainian forces near the crash site of
the Malaysia Airlines flight MH17. On July 17, 298 people on board were
killed after the plane was shot down.
Director of National Intelligence
Director of National Intelligence
—Tim Stelloh with The Associated Press
Russia has fired rockets into Ukraine, US says
State Department via AP
The second page of a document released by the US State Department
allegedly shows self-propelled artillery on the Russian side of the
border oriented in the direction of Ukraine.
WASHINGTON — Stepping up pressure on Moscow, the U.S. on Sunday
released satellite images it says show that rockets have been fired from
Russia into neighboring eastern Ukraine and that heavy artillery for
separatists has crossed the border.
The images, which came from the U.S. Director of National
Intelligence and could not be independently verified by The Associated
Press, show blast marks where rockets were launched and craters where
they landed. Officials said the images show heavy weapons fired between
July 21 and July 26 — after the July 17 downing of Malaysia Airlines
Flight 17.
The four-page memo is part of the Obama administration’s push to hold
Russia accountable for its activities in neighboring Ukraine, and the
release could help to persuade the United States’ European allies to
apply harsher sanctions on Russia.
The timing of the memo also could be aimed at dissuading Russia from
further military posturing. The Pentagon said just days ago that the
movement of Russian heavy-caliber artillery systems across its border
into Ukraine was ‘‘imminent.’’
Moscow has angrily denied allegations of Russia’s involvement in
eastern Ukraine. Russia’s foreign ministry over the weekend accused the
U.S. of conducting ‘‘an unrelenting campaign of slander against Russia,
ever more relying on open lies.’’
Secretary of State John Kerry spoke by phone Sunday with Russian
Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, urging him to stop the flow of heavy
weapons and rocket and artillery fire from Russia into Ukraine, said a
State Department official. Kerry did not accept Lavrov’s denial that
heavy weapons from Russia were contributing to the conflict, said the
official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to provide details of the
call.
There was no immediate comment from Moscow. The White House had no
separate comment on the release, referring queries to the State
Department.
The U.S. images claim to show multiple rocket launchers fired at
Ukrainian forces from within Ukraine and from Russian soil. One image
shows dozens of craters around a Ukrainian military unit and rockets
that can travel more than seven miles.
The memo said one image provides evidence that Russian forces have
‘‘fired across the border at Ukrainian military forces and that
Russian-backed separatists have used heavy artillery provided by Russia
in attacks on Ukrainian forces from inside Ukraine.’’
Another satellite image depicted in the memo shows ‘‘ground scarring
at multiple rocket launch sites on the Russian side of the border
oriented in the direction of Ukraine military units within Ukraine.’’
‘‘The wide areas of impact near the Ukrainian military units indicates fire from multiple rocket launchers,’’ the memo said.
Moreover, the memo included a satellite image that it called evidence
of self-propelled artillery only found in Russian military units ‘‘on
the Russian side of the border oriented in the direction of a Ukrainian
military unit within Ukraine.’’
Separately, The New York Times reported Sunday that defense and
intelligence officials were working on a plan that would enable the
Obama administration to give Ukraine specific locations of
surface-to-air missiles controlled by Russian-backed separatists. The
plan, if implemented, would allow the Ukraine government to target these
missile sites for destruction, the newspaper said.
Citing U.S. sources, the Times said it was unclear if President
Barack Obama would want to give Ukraine the more precise information
about military targets because it would amount to America getting more
involved in the conflict.
Tensions have run high in that region since Russia seized Crimea in
March and Washington has been highly critical of Russian President
Vladimir Putin’s behavior.
More recently, U.S. intelligence officials have said they have what
they call a solid circumstantial case that Russian-backed separatists in
Eastern Ukraine are responsible for downing the Malaysia Airlines
plane. Citing satellite imagery, intercepted conversations and social
media postings, officials say a Russian-made SA-11 surface-to-air
missile hit the plane on July 17.
Moscow denies any involvement in the attack.
U.S. officials said they still don’t know who fired the missile or
whether Russian military officers were present when it happened. But
until Sunday, they were unwilling to share evidence that the separatists
had the technology to down a plane.
Below are the pages of the document as released by the State Department via AP:
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