MANILA, Philippines - 20 minutes after plane crash:
Igor Bezler (said to be a Russian military intelligence officer and commander of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic): We have just shot down a plane. Group Minera. It fell down beyond Yenakievo (Donetsk Oblast).
Vasili Geranin (reportedly a Russian military intelligence colonel): Pilots. Where are the pilots?
IB: Gone to search for and photograph the plane. It’s smoking.
VG: How many minutes ago?
IB: About 30 minutes ago.
Comment from the Ukraine security agency (SBU): After examining the site of the plane the terrorists come to the conclusion that they have shot down a civilian plane.
The next part of the conversation took place about 40 minutes later between separatist militants called “Major” and “Greek.”
Major: These are Chernukhin folks who shot down the plane. From the Chernukhin checkpoint. Those Cossacks who are based in Chernukhino.
Greek: Yes, Major.
Major: The plane fell apart in the air. In the area of Petropavlovskaya mine. The first “200” (code word for dead person). We have found the first “200.” A Civilian.
Greek: Well, what do you have there?
Major: In short, it was 100 percent a passenger (civilian) aircraft.
Greek: Are many people there?
Major: Holy sh_t! The debris fell right into the yards (of homes).
Greek: What kind of aircraft?
Major: I haven’t ascertained this. I haven’t been to the main sight. I am only surveying the scene where the first bodies fell. There are the remains of internal brackets, seats and bodies.
Greek: Is there anything left of the weapon? (Other English translations say the question is whether there are any weapons.)
Major: Absolutely nothing. Civilian items, medicinal stuff, towels, toilet paper.
Greek: Are there documents?
Major: Yes, of one Indonesian student. From Thompson (Rivers) University.
The third part of the conversation is between an unidentified militant and Cossack commander Nikolay Kozitsin:
Militant: Regarding the plane shot down in the area of Snizhne-Torez. It’s a civilian one. Fell down near Hrabove. There are lots of corpses of women and children. The Cossacks are out there looking at all this.
They say on TV it’s AN-26 transport plane, but they say it’s written Malaysia Airlines on the plane. What was it doing on Ukraine’s territory?
Nikolay Kozitsin: That means they were carrying spies. They shouldn’t be f_cking flying. There is a war going on.