UKRAINE: STONEWALLING PLANE CRASH INVESTIGATION

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: FOIA Collection
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 06687091
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: July 13, 2023
• Document Release Date: February 17, 2022
• Case Number: F-2017-01121
• Publication Date: October 10, 2001

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SENIOR EXECUTIVE INTELLIGENCE BRIEF
10 October 2001
PASS SEIB 01-236CHX
Ukraine: Stonewalling Plane Crash Investigation
Defense Minister Kuzmuk and other Defense officials refuse to back down from denials that a
Ukrainian surface-to-air missile launched during training exercises in Crimea brought down
the Russian jetliner last week President Kuchma is giving the Defense Ministry more time to
investigate, indicating that an admission of Ukrainian responsibility may not be imminent.
-- Speaking to the legislature yesterday, Kuzmuk claimed that the SA-5 missile was tested at
a range that was insufficient to reach the Russian plane. The commander in chief of the
Ukrainian Air Defense Forces on Monday told journalists that the missile fell 180 km
from where the Russian jetliner crashed.
Kuchma on Monday said Ukraine must "dot all the i's" in its investigation but
� acknowledged that it is theoretically possible that a missile brought down the plane,
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Pressure from
Russia and Israel may prevent Ukraine from dragging this out. (b)(1)
Ukrainian, Russian, and Israeli personnel are in Sochi investigating the cause of the
crash.
Putin yesterday
documents
said Russian specialists are not satisfied with the extent or quality of the
Ukraine has provided on its air defense exercises
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-- Russian
experts on the joint commission investigating the tragedy believe that a
Ukrainian
target
SA-5 accidentally downed the plane when its radar locked on to the wrong
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