EPIDEMIC

Ukrainian Pilot, Blamed by Russia for MH17 Crash, ‘Kills Himself’

Russia’s theory was widely discredited.

The Ukrainian military pilot who Russia blamed for the 2014 downing of Malaysian Airlines Flight 17 has killed himself, according to reports from Ukraine. Capt. Vladyslav Voloshyn, lauded by Ukraine as a war hero, always condemned Russia’s claim as a lie and independent experts blamed the crash on a missile fired by pro-Russian rebels or a Russian military unit. Voloshyn’s family members were quoted by Ukrainian media saying the 29-year-old pilot had been feeling depressed and said they were in his flat when he shot himself Sunday. He later died at a hospital. Since Russia claimed it was his jet which shot down MH17, Voloshyn had been in charge of the Mykolaiv airport in southern Ukraine. Flight MH17 was shot down over eastern Ukraine on July 17, 2014, killing all 298 people on board. A Dutch investigation concluded in 2015 that a Russian Buk missile brought down the passenger plane.