The tragedy the world witnessed July 17, 2014, has changed dramatically the nature of Russian aggression in Ukraine. On this day, a Malaysian Boeing was downed from the sky over Donbas. Nearly 300 people were killed in that horrific crash. Before that day, many European powers chose not to really notice what was going on in the east of Ukraine in favor of their economic ties with Moscow. But the death of EU citizens on board that plane forced many European governments to change their approach to the situation. Politicians were just forced to open his eyes. Sanctions were imposed against Russia (and they are still enforced to this day) and almost the entire civilized world started helping Ukraine.

Many people, especially in Russia, are trying to erase from memory the events in Donbas back in those hot days. At the time, the Kremlin, after an almost bloodless occupation of Crimea, was obsessed with the destruction of the Ukrainian state, toying with the idea of a mythical "Novorossiya". To implement this idea, thousands of soldiers and officers "voluntarily" left for “vacations” but still drove their officially assigned armored vehicles to seize the Ukrainian land. That is how the Kremlin explained hundreds of freshly-dug  graves in different parts of their vast country. Ukraine was returning Russian "volunteers" home. In various shapes.

However, officially abandoning the version of Ukrainian stealth aircraft, the Russian Ministry of Defense provided yet another piece of "irrefutable evidence" of the attack of the Ukrainian military against MH17

Back in the day, there were almost daily reports of Ukraine’s losses – downed warplanes and helicopters, which used to halt the advance of Russia’s “strayed” Russian convoys of military equipment. Two years ago, Putin explained that military equipment to be used in such a conflict is "always somewhere around", while anti-aircraft missile systems, as well as the Russian uniform, can obviously be purchased "in any military outlet". It is no surprise that on July 17, 2014, Russia's state news agencies, like TASS, referring to militants who occupied parts of Donbas, proudly reported the downing of yet another Ukrainian An-26.

When it turned out that it’s a passenger jet that had been hit, Russian propaganda started producing at warp speed different versions of the incident and developing conspiracy theories. Brainwash masterminds came up with the Spanish ground control officer “Carlos”, who allegedly navigated MH17 from the tower and personally “saw” (in binoculars?) two fighter jets approaching with Ukrainian tridents on their wings. A similar vision - in the form of two vulture-jets allegedly attacking a civilian plane – stood in the eyes many militants and other "eye-witnesses" who elaborated to the Russian media on what they had personally seen (!) happening at some 10k altitude. There was also a "secret witness", whose testimony had to drop all charges against Russia, shifting the blame on the Ukrainian hero – an actual combat pilot Vladyslav Voloshin. But when it turned out that the Su-25, at which the Kremlin pointed fingers, was simply unable to hit targets at such altitudes due to its technical characteristics, the Russian "analysts" thought of nothing better reclassifying  the “killer jet” to a Su-27.

On July 21, 2014, Head of the Main Operations Directorate of the General Staff General Kartapalov was speaking confidently at a presentation held at the Daily operations control center of Russia’s Aerospace Forces Russia on the causes of the MH17 tragedy. The slides showed the alleged movement Ukrainian Buk-M1 air defense systems. Then it was also stated that the Russian air monitoring means spotted a Su-25 belonging to the Ukrainian Air Force just 5 km from the Boeing. "Why was the warplane flying on air path designed for civil aviation almost simultaneously and at the same altitude with a passenger aircraft? I would like to hear an answer to this question," the Russian general said, with apparent concern in his voice.

More than two years after that event, the answer was voiced in the same briefing room. It turned out that there had been no Captain Voloshin, piloting his Su-25 in dangerous proximity to the Boeing. Just as there has been no Su-27.

On the eve of the release of the results of an official Dutch investigation, scheduled for September 28, the "Empire" has decided to go for a pre-emptive strike, unexpectedly releasing details of their radars and reporting that there had been no airborne side objects near the Malaysian aircraft before its disintegration.

More than two years after that event, the answer was voiced in the same briefing room. It turned out that there had been no Captain Voloshin, piloting his Su-25 in dangerous proximity to the Boeing. Just as there has been no Su-27

However, having officially abandoned the version of the Ukrainian stealth aircraft, the Russian Ministry of Defense provided yet another piece of "irrefutable evidence" of the attack of the Ukrainian military against MH17. Now the only version of a Buk missile launch is in the works, in order to be closer to the results of the Dutch investigation. It turns out that the Russian radars saw the entire air situation, to the last detail, but only in the occupied part of Donbas. And especially, in the area of the village of Snizhne, where, the Buk missile launch site was located, according to an international investigation.

Head of the Russia’s radio technical troops of the Aerospace Forces of Russia General Koban said that had the missile been fired from the areas of Donetsk region beyond the Ukrainian government control, Russian radars would have recorded such fact. Apparently, that’s the very radar that “saw” the Ukrainian Su-25 two years ago...

To be more convincing, the General even told how the "eyes" of the Russian army monitor a much smaller object loitering along the Russian-Ukrainian border – a Russian drone Orlan-10. He claimed that if such a small object was identified, the Russians would have never missed a missile launch from the bordering part of the seized Donbas. But there’s another thing regarding these Orlan UAVs. As soon as the Ukrainian military manage to shoot them down, this hi-tech miracle of the Russian aeronautic industry automatically "goes on vacation" (just like the Russian troops going into Ukraine since 2014), while Russian "partners" once again pretend that the UAV is not theirs, and they have nothing to do with it.

Thus, the Russian Ministry of Defense, or rather, the Ministry of Misinformation has reached another frontier of lies. As soon as the evidence has been collected of the insolvency of their earlier tales of Ukrainian aircraft, they jump over to the version of a Ukrainian Buk.

Thus, the Russian Ministry of Defense, or rather, the Ministry of Misinformation has reached another frontier of lies

Later, when the investigators call by name the whole crew of the Russian Buk, strayed in Donbas, the Russian Defense Ministry will come up with some new excuse. And it looks like it will continue indefinitely. Or until what is happening in eastern Ukraine is also called by its proper name. Until the wandering of the Russian troops in the Ukrainian lands is officially recognized as invasion.

Roman Tsymbaliuk, Moscow