Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 was struck by several "high-energy objects" from the outside that caused the aircraft to break up mid-air over Ukraine, according to a Tuesday report from Dutch experts.
All 298 passengers were killed when the Malaysia-bound plane crashed in a rebel-controlled region of eastern Ukraine on July 17. Most of the victims were from the Netherlands, where the plane took off. The Dutch Safety Board concluded a number of objects "pierced the plane at high velocity" right before it broke apart.
"There are no indications that the MH17 crash was caused by a technical fault or by actions of the crew," the report said.
The conclusion supports claims from Western, Malaysian and Ukraine officials that pro-Russian insurgents in the region shot down the civilian aircraft with a Russian-made missile, a claim the rebels continuously deny.
Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak said the report, which does not refer to an actual missile, "leads to the strong suspicion that a surface-to-air missile brought MH17 down, but further investigative work is needed before we can be certain," according to Reuters.
Being struck with a large number of objects is consistent with a "proximity" warhead, which are meant to explode and send shrapnel flying through the air towards an intended target, Tim Ripley, a defense analyst from Jane's Defense Weekly magazine, told the news agency.
A proximity warhead could have been fitted to the alleged Russian-made BUK missile believed to have struck the plane, Ripley said.
Experts may have determined how the crash occurred, but who actually fired the alleged missile is a bigger mystery. Rebel forces say they never had such missiles, and Russia denies ever supplying the separatists with weapons, Reuters reported.
An investigation would need to determine the exact ground site the missile was launched from and use radar to conclude who is culpable, according to the BBC.
The Dutch Safety Board is expected to issue a final report on the crash next year. Criminal charges could be filed if the responsible party is found.
