...........
Quite frankely I just don't know but I wonder if someone can inform me about the likelihood of a loaded SU25 climbing up to a hight of 33.000 feet and shooting down a B777 cruising at 905 km/h using both missiles and the GSh30 double barreled 30 mm guns.
...........
I think the fact that they say it used both guns and missiles is too add weight to their idea that the Russian public would believe that more likely since both forms of attack were used.
Since the top speed of a Frogfoot is similar to the cruising speed and its still above its service ceiling (a term that only means it cannot climb fast above such a hieght) are likely 'clean' version, they had to say it like that - to give the impression of using the cannon at short closing range, and as the airliner pulled away, then use the missiles.
Personally
I reckon it shows that the Russians are painting a picture of their own concotion.
Although who s not so say the Ukrainians did not have some aircraft in the air; either doing recon or awaitng targeting data, or that there could be some even within a 25km area of the airliner at a lower altitude level. It is also possible they were escorting or covering/bracketing the airliner.
Whatever and whoever and how this terrible incident became is seemingly hidden and has definately caused trouble for all four sides in this mess that could be considered akin to a Phoney War.
Hopefully whoever operated the tracking guidance systems/unit, the launcher system those who gave the launch orders will altogether be found, tried and convicted irrespective of where and who they are; but alas I think that is an utopian dream.
If they were Russian 'volunteers' then they will be stationed in Vladivostock, Murmansk, in Siberia (and/or other far parts of the r
edu
x CCCP) - if they were following orders, if they got itchy palms and acted without orders, then they are already pig food.
If it was a Ukrainian side accident, then their is some chance it might be handled behind closed doors, but If it was them, they have the most to lose politically, internationally and pride-wise, where's as from the rival Seperatists side, if it was them c0ck up, then I bet Czar Vladimir was cursing them, and thereatening them to pull his 'subtle' support.
The fourth most outwardly least possible side is, that some one from Nato or EU somehow arranged for this to happen to steer World opinion against both sides and their backers, this I think is the least likely and most implausible idea - although Russian media have tended to hint at this occasionally.
Personally I'm not sure who to believe or what to trust, but I trust the Russian media much much less, certainly less so after the free speech crackdowns following the Ryzan FSB Bombings (Russia's version of the Operation Northwood) and the initial intelligent public scrutiny of offical BS explainations.
After going through this
36 minute video, one sentence even if mis-translated jumps out at me like a flash back from 30 years of police shows and documentaries, and especially the bolded parts of it. Also watching it, it is clear that this guy is highly stressed and it'd appear that the rebels cannot control some of their own comrades judging form some of his 'diplomatic' answers to some alleged behaviors.
".....
....As I said, the causes are pretty obvious. The plane was shot down, we couldn't have done it and
we didn't want to. We do not have such weapons that could shoot down the plane from
the altitude of 10,600 metres.
......"