Putin warlord wanted for mass murder over shooting down of MH17 made frontline commander in Ukraine war

A WANTED ‘war criminal’ accused of complicity in the shooting down of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 has been “made a commander in Putin’s frontline forces fighting in Ukraine”. The doomed Malaysian Airlines Flight 17 was shot down by a Russian-made Buk surface-to-air missile over Ukraine‘s Donbas region in July 2014. The tragic incident claimed 298 lives including 10 Britons and 80 children. Brutal Igor Strelkov (Girkin) has been cleared to serve in a volunteer capacity in UkraineGetty Igor Strelkov poses with his wife as he departs to go and fight in Ukraine EPAMH17 was shot down by a Buk Russian-made ground-to-air missile[/caption] Brutal Igor Strelkov, 51, former defence minister of self-styled Donetsk People’s Republic, has been an arch-critic of the Kremlin over the Ukraine campaign. Strelkov previously served as the top commander of Donetsk militia forces back in 2014. But now in a change of tack the ex-FSB colonel and hardliner has been appointed a frontline commander, it is reported. He was pictured bidding farewell to his wife wearing military fatigues.  Strelkov – real name Igor Girkin – had gone quiet on his Telegram channel which has been used for months to demand a far tougher and more brutal approach to the war from Russian forces. His wife Miroslava Reginskaya, 29, posted: “He is okay. He will be in touch soon.” Military reporter Yuri Kotenok said: “Strelkov’s silence since October 10 is explained by the fact that after eight years he was allowed to leave for the war zone….  “He went to fight in one of the volunteer battalions as chief of staff or deputy commander.” Most read in News MY DEAR ANDREW I feel bad for Andrew, says Ghislaine Maxwell in first prison interview TOWERING INFERNO Bars evacuated after 'loud explosions' as huge blaze erupts in Leeds READY FOR RISHI Rishi Sunak's allies launch blitz on party bosses to oust Truss from No10 'MURDER' PROBE Police probe 'suspicious death' after body found in woods next to motorway MYSTERY KILLING Girl's body found in suitcase as chilling details emerge about injuries BLOCKHEADS Van driver clashes with eco-idiot protesters for stopping him visiting ill wife Strelkov – with half a million followers – was blamed for the downing of MH17 which was hit by the missile supplied by Russia. He is a wanted man in the West over the 298 civilians killed when the Boeing 777 from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur was blown out of the sky. Strelkov was earlier blocked by the Russians from reaching the front. He had warned last month that more military defeats could topple Vladimir Putin, and accused the Kremlin leader and his defence minister of incompetence.  “All it will take is an outbreak of inflation or a few more military defeats to finish him off,” he posted about the Russian president. He labelled Putin “clueless” over Russia’s frontline failings and suggested that “execution by shooting” was  too good a punishment for defence minister Sergei Shoigu.  Strelkov had long called for full mobilisation while slating the military hierarchy in Russia. He was known for his cruelty in Donetsk, bragging about ordering prisoners and looters to be shot. His new role as a commander – possibly in a private army backing Putin – appears a sign that hardliners are now fully in charge of Putin’s war. In June 2019 four suspects were charged with mass murder over the shooting down of flight MH17 – including Girkin, Sergey Dubinsky and Oleg Pulatov, and Ukrainian Leonid Kharchenko. Dubinsky is also an ex Russian intelligence officer while Pulatov – nicknamed the Viper –  is a former lieutenant colonel in the Russian army. Kharchenko was the commander of a Ukrainian separatist battalion. Read More on The Sun had their phil NTAs viewers spot secret feud as top stars fail to clap Holly and Phil PRICED UP I headed to Primark and can’t believe how much I spent, and not in a good way “Though they did not push the button, we suspect them of close co- operation to get the (missile launcher) where it was, with the aim to shoot down an airplane,” Chief prosecutor Fred Westerbeke said at the time. The judgment in absentia from the District Court of The Hague is expected on November 17 at 1:30pm. AFPFour people were charged with ‘mass murder’ over the MH17 shooting down[/caption] The Dutch-led investigation team issued international arrest warrants for the suspects Simon Jones - The SunA Donest People’s Republic soldier Sergei Pachenko in front of a Buk anti-aircraft missile launcher[/caption] EPASelf-proclaimed Defence Minister of the so called ‘Donetsk People’s Republic’, Igor Strelkov poses on July 10, 2014, seven days before MH17 was shot down[/caption]