A BUK missile. Photo: Openbaar Ministrie

Dutch television news service RTL Nieuws reported on October 17 that the Dutch Military Intelligence and Security Service MIVD retrieved a Buk anti-air missile from Georgia earlier this year.

According to the media outlet, the transfer occurred on February 21-22, when the Dutch officers flew to Georgia and brought the missile back to the Netherlands in a Hercules military transport plane, delivering it to the Gilze-Rijen military air base, east of Breda.

RTL Nieuws also noted that the missile is used as evidence by the investigation team for preparing the criminal case against suspects in the downing of flight MH17 during the war in Ukraine’s Donbass region on July 17, 2014. 

According to the Dutch Public Prosecution Service, the investigation team “contacted different countries among which Finland, Ukraine and Georgia. All in line with UN (Security Council) Resolution 2166 Georgia granted the requested legal assistance and early 2017 a Buk missile was made available for the criminal investigation.”

The Georgian Prosecutor’s Office told Civil.ge that the Dutch Ministry of Security and Justice approached it with a request for assistance for the purposes of the investigation on January 27, 2016. 

According to the Prosecutor’s Office, “the Dutch side requested the transfer of a single 9M38M1 type BUK system missile,” which the Office fulfilled “in accordance with international agreements and the Resolution 2166 of the United Nations Security Council.”