The international investigation group Bellingcat has published a report naming the individual who coordinated the deployment of the Russian Buk ground-to-air missile system that downed a Boeing passenger plane (MH17) over eastern Ukraine in July 2014, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty has reported.

The individual named is retired Russian military officer S. Dubinsky.

"Dubinsky is a Russian war veteran. He was a colonel in July 2014, fought in Afghanistan for the Soviet Union and later in Chechnya, where he served in the 22nd Special Brigade connected with Russia's Military Main Intelligence Directorate [Foreign military intelligence agency, known as GRU], RFE/RL reported on Wednesday evening, citing the Bellingcat report.

Bellingcat on February 14 gave the information to the international investigative group, which is conducting the official investigation into the downing of the Boeing-777. Representatives of Australia, Belgium, the Netherlands, Malaysia and Ukraine are in the group.

According to the Bellingcat report, the ground-to-air Buk missile that downed the Boeing was delivered to Ukraine from Russia. The place of the missile launch was Pervomayske village, located in an area of eastern Ukraine occupied by Russian hybrid forces. Some 100 individuals have been implicated of involvement in the launching of the missile.