There’s an American EF-111 Raven in the graphic shown by Russia to prove a Ukrainian Su-25 flew close to the MH17

Jul 21 2014 - 26 Comments
By David Cenciotti

Based on the graphic shown by the Russian Ministry of Defense, it was a U.S. EF-111 Raven to fly close to the MH17 just before it was shot down.

According to the Russian Defense Ministry, a Ukrainian Air Force Su-25 was detected by one of Russia’s radars in the area climbing towards the MH17 on the day the civilian plane with 298 people on board was shot down.

“The SU-25 fighter jet can gain an altitude of 10km, according to its specification. […] It’s equipped with air-to-air R-60 missiles that can hit a target at a distance up to 12km, up to 5km for sure.”

Interestingly, the Russian MoD said the Su-25 (mistakenly defined as a “fighter jet” whereas it is an attack plane) operated well above its ceiling of 23,000 feet. Even more interesting the Wiki page of the Su-25 was edited (by a Russian IP address) to update its specifications…

Anyway, even though we reported the speculations about the alleged Ukrainian military activity in the surroundings of the MH17 flight, we can’t but notice that the graphic used by the Russian MoD has another major flaw: it depicts (on the left) the Boeing 777 as a Boeing 707, and the Su-25 (on the right) with the shape of an EF-111 Raven, a famous, retired, U.S. electronic warfare plane!

SOLID SHIELD '87

Top image credit: Russian MoD via RT.com; bottom: Wiki

 

 

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  • Well, at least it was an inspirational aircraft for the USSR during the Cold War…

    How’s this Russian “story”?

  • WK80

    Pretty sure everyone over at Russia MoD is perpetually drunk.

    • Greg

      Really worthwhile comment from you that contributes a lot. You actually call others “drunk” but write a comment like that!

    • Yury Mitrofanov

      sure? I’m sober now and always! :)))))))))))))

      • michael

        that means it is even more irrelevant? An attack plane might have flown near the B777, that could have carried air to air missiles? Come on.

        • xared

          You just gave the answer. Congrats.

  • Yury Mitrofanov

    “Wiki page of the Su-25 was edited (by a Russian IP)” – it is not true http://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%A1%D1%83-25

    • Tomcat

      Click on the revision history on the top of the page. There you’ll see that it’s been changed back. It has been edited several times back and forth by russian IP addresses and others. His statement holds true.

  • Ser Arthur Dayne

    *Facepalm*
    This document by the Russian MoD is pathetic not only because they used wrong planes silhouettes (this tells the level of approximation of this work) , but mostly because they are trying to find excuses to “justify” the disaster…sounds like “there was a Su-25, flying that high, a missile was fired at it but unfortunately hit the 777 so don’t blame us “…when it’s simply “separatists accidentally shot down a civilian liner with a missile”

  • Matt Wilks

    Good old Russian propaganda. They must think the international community is as clueless as those separatists manning the SAM’s

    • xared

      Good old american propaganda. They must think the international community is as clueless as those idiots in US who saw WMDs when there were none.

      BTW where is the evidence by US anyways? Faked ‘tapes’? Ukranian BUKs? Do you have an answer, or is the Kool-Aid really strong?

  • Yury Mitrofanov

    “Wiki page of the Su-25 was edited (by a Russian IP)” – it is not true http://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%A1%D1%83-25

    • phuzz

      Er, why not look at the history page to see the changes?
      http://ru.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=%D0%A1%D1%83-25&diff=64355568&oldid=64347004
      That page has been edited ten times in the last day or so, and over fifty times this year. to contrast, the English version has been edited twice this year.

      That said, I’m not sure what the point is. Of course most of the edits on the Russian version are going to be from Russian IPs. Also, of course a Russian aircraft is going to have a much more active page in Russian.
      I’m sure most of the edits on (for example) the French version of Wikipedia are from French IPs, and that their pages on the Mirage 2000 are more active than the English version.

  • Yury Mitrofanov

    afraid of?

  • Elena

    And what about the 707 depicting the 777? :P

  • SBK

    Thank you Russia, you are the only ones who don’t blindly accuse anyone in this incident and actually provide evidence.

    Regarding the image, notice how the 777 is a picture of an A340 or something similar? They’re just using stock images.

    I used to be an avid reader of this site but it seems now they’ve turned to anti-Russian propaganda too. You’re provided crucial evidence that might clear something up for once and you dismiss it just because one representation picture is wrong? Take a look at the actual radar images, not the presentation

    • StumpedtheChump Again

      Yep I notice a very pro Israel stance with those VICE videos. Must be a bunch of dual citizens in control of this site. Would be interesting to know the person behind the site.

    • Tomcat

      Evidence?! Pardon? Where is there any evidence provided one way or the other? At this time there has been nothing but claims based on “intelligence” from both sides.

  • Demetrius

    Hey, checked Russian and English wikis – ceiling is 7000 meters. Where is editing?

  • Victorinox

    So where were the 2 Flankers that your “authoritative source” said were escorting the airliner?

    Or was that all BS to get a tasty headline?

  • ossie

    Sadly, this site got to new lows, more, and more like a tabloid.
    Service ceiling for SU-25 is 7000-10000, absolute ceiling even higher.
    http://uos.ua/produktsiya/aviakosmicheskaya-tehnika/84-cy-25
    And that’s an official _Ukrainian_ source.
    Does the author know Russian, or just heard the crappy translation?

  • Ron Fox

    YOU DON’T EXPECT TO GET ANY FACTUAL EVIDENCE OUT OF EASTERN EUROPE, DO YOU? GIVE THE OWNER OF THE AVIATIONIST RESPECT, AS HE HAS BETTER CONNECTIONS AND KNOWLEDGE THAN ALL OF US, PUT TOGETHER!!!

  • Ales Ogrinc

    While you mentione all the data to be wrong, than there are 2 options, they faked this completly or its some older recording. Eather of the choises is russian fingerprint work.

    At the end of the video they show aparently faked or atleast BUK that they claim its on ukraine teritory out from the rebel hold position. Well there are few guys on twitter that made pictures and proved them wrong, simple normal people that live near there, every detail is pictures and fits 100%, its real, its in rebel hold teritory and the only thing is its not sure wich was real date it was recorded but it proved rebels DO own this kinda weapons.

  • Steeple.people

    Oh yeah? Wiki was edited AFTER Boeing shot down. BEFORE Su-25 attitude was 10.000 and was edited to 7.000. Yes, this is Putin’s hand indeed. He was editing Wiki by himself, surely.

  • Dudley

    In a book called ” THE WORLDS MAJOR MILITARY JETS”S FOR sU-25 frogfoot are max speed mach 0.7 at alitude:475kt or 880km’hr. Max ceiling is 23,000ft or 7km. So a Su-25 could not go high enough and the fact is I know because I have been in a simlar boeing airplane they can do upto 1100+ km/hr if needed. So these hand drawn documents are false.