Putin needs more sanctions because Russia DID down MH17, expert says ahead of key report
VLADIMIR Putin's regime has a disregard for human life exemplified by its downing of a plane over Ukraine, a leading expert has said ahead of a report expected to blame Russia for the attack.
Russia is set to be blamed in the new report
Dr Andrew Foxall, director of the Henry Jackson Society's Russia Studies Centre, said further sanctions need to be placed on Russia.
He was speaking the day before a Dutch-led investigative team is due to release its final report into the downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 over eastern Ukraine in July 2014.
As the flight flew from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur, it was destroyed, killing all 298 people on board, including 10 Britons.
The report from the Joint Investigations Team, led by the Netherlands but supported by representatives from Australia, Belgium, Malaysia, and Ukraine, has previously said its leading theory is MH17 was destroyed by a Russian SA-11 Buk anti-aircraft missile system fired from territory controlled by pro-Russian separatists.
The destruction of MH17 exposed the West to a defining trait of Vladimir Putin's regime, its disregard for human life
Tomorrow's report is expected to confirm this and attribute criminal responsibility for what happened.
Dr Foxall, said: "The destruction of MH17 exposed the West to a defining trait of Vladimir Putin's regime, its disregard for human life.
"As tragic as the event was, it was merely the extension to the outside world of the kind of behavior that has long existed in Russia.
MH17 was downed in July 2014
"If, as expected, the Joint Investigation Team concludes that Russia was responsible, then the West must weigh expanding the sanctions regime against the Kremlin.
"These should include further economic measures against the defence sector, and key military and political personnel.
"Western leaders must know that there is a danger in not acting decisively or strongly enough."
Animation of missile strike that destroyed flight MH17
The incident caused outrage in the West, with then Prime Minister David Cameron saying he would "find those who committed this crime and bring them to justice".
However, compared to other missing planes, the downing of MH17 went beneath the radar relatively quickly, even when an air accident inquiry by the Dutch Safety Board concluded one month after the plane had been shot down by an SA-11 Buk anti-aircraft missile - which both Russia and Ukraine operate.
Family's of the victims have blamed Putin
Victims' families are still desperately awaiting to hear what happened
Jerry Skinner, a US lawyer acting for 33 relatives of victims from Australia, New Zealand and Malaysia, has filed a civil case against the Russian Federation and Mr Putin at the European Court of Human Rights.
The suit is demanding $10million (£7.7m) compensation for each victim.
Mr Putin has refused to acknowledge Russia deployed troops to Ukraine in 2014 and has outright denied any involvement in the downing of MH17.
His government has come up with a few different theories, including the aircraft being shot down by a Ukranian jet fighter.
On Monday the Russian ministry of defence claimed it had found primary radar data which proved no missile struck MH17 from separatist territory.
In July, Malaysia airlines settled damages with the families of most of the passengers killed on the plane, an attorney representing some of the families confirmed.