In the immediate aftermath of the Malaysian Airlines plane crash on Thursday, some Russian news outlets are reporting the Boeing 777's attackers had in fact intended to target a plane transporting President Vladimir Putin.
A Malaysia Airlines plane crashed into Ukraine's restive Donetsk region on Thursday, killing all 298 people on board.
As each side of the Ukraine conflict rushed to accuse the other, an unnamed source from the Russian Federal Air Transport Agency, or Rosaviatsia, chimed in, telling Interfax that Ukrainian forces had attempted to shoot down Putin's airplane, which was en route to Moscow from Brazil at the time.
The source claimed that Putin's plane had intersected the Malaysian plane's flight path at 10,000 meters as the latter traveled from Amsterdam toward Kuala Lumpur.
"The presidential aircraft was there at 16:21 Moscow time, the Malaysian one at 15:44," the source told Interfax.
Putin uses an Ilyushin Il-96-300 wide-body airliner, the size and proportions of which are similar to those of the downed Boeing 777.
"As for the coloring, at a remote distance they are almost identical," the source said.
A separate source told Gazeta.ru news portal, however, that Putin had avoided Ukrainian airspace in light of the conflict.
Rosaviatsia head Alexander Naradko told Interfax that the agency does not comment on or disclose the flight paths taken by the presidential plane.
See also:
Australia's Tony Abbott Blames Russia for Downing Malaysia Plane
A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.
Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.
Remind me later.