[영어로 읽는 해외 토픽] 말레시아 비행기 미사일에 의해 피격 당하다
(원제: Missile Shot Down Malaysia Airlines Plane over Ukraine)
A Malaysia Airlines passenger jet carrying 283 passengers and 15 crew crashed in the east Ukraine region of Donetsk on July 17th. US intelligence agencies concluded a missile shot down the plane.
The plane was flying over a troubled area. Following the 2014 Crimean crisis, the separatists occupying the Donetsk declared independence from Ukraine. On May 11th, the separatists held a referendum on separating the region from Ukraine.
The 2014 Crimean Crisis
Tensions have been high between Ukraine and Russia since street protests in November last year, which ousted former Pro-Russia President Viktor Yanukovycho from power. In February, 2014, Russia subsequently annexed Crimea, Ukraine’s southeastern region. Following the Russian annexation of Crimea, pro-Russian separatist rebellion has been raging in Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk region.
Ukrainian forces have been struggling to quell the separatist unrest in the region. Ukraine’s government has accused Russia of allowing weapons and military equipment into the hands of pro-Russia separatists.
Despite Ukrainian’s efforts to subdue pro-Russian separatists, separatists seized town across the eastern region and, in April, declared an independent republic. The fighting escalated in the recent week, when Ukrainian authorities reported that one of their military cargo planes and one of their military fighter jets had been downed in the area.
Details and Accusations
Details and accusations quickly poured in about the crash. The huge loss of life threatens to have wide-ranging and unpredictable consequences.
The crash happened just after US imposed further sanctions on Russia for continuing to provide weapons to the rebels. In the same week, Ukraine officials said a Russian fighter shot down a Ukrainian military cargo aircraft.
Experts said pro-Russian separatists in Ukraine used the Russian-made missile to shot down the airplane. Rebels in the Donetsk have shot down several Ukrainian planes and helicopters in recent weeks.
But pro-Russian separatists insist that they had no part in the downing of MH17, claiming instead that Ukrainian fire was responsible.
Due to the conflict, European and Ukrainian authorities had banned aircraft from flying in the area of Eastern Ukraine. The jet, which was flying from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur, had been flying 1000ft above restricted airspace.
Against this backdrop, the consensus in the international community is that Ukrainians did not have the capability in the region - let alone motivation - to shoot down the plane.
The US vice-president, Joe Biden said the plane appeared to have been “blown out of the sky.”
“This was not an incident, this was a terrorist act”, said Ukraine’s president, Petro Poroshenko.
Malaysia’s Prime Minister, Najib Razak said “if it transpires that the flight was shot down, we insist that the perpetrator must swiftly be brought to justice.”
However, countries divided over whether the missile was launched by the Russian military or by pro-Russian separatist rebels. Officials say pro-Russian rebels might lack the expertise to bring down a commercial aircraft in midflight and would have needed specialists who had volunteered their services from Russia or locally recruited specialists.
Separatist leaders denied they had missiles that were powerful enough to shoot down a Boeing 777 flying at such a height.
“The plane was shot down by the Ukrainian side,” said Sergei Kavtaraze, one of the leaders of the separatist Donetsk People’s Republic.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said Ukraine’s military campaign against the separatists was to blame: “This tragedy would not have happened if there had been peace on that land. Without a doubt the government of the territory on which it happened bears responsibility for the tragedy.”
Putin later spoke by phone to the Malaysia Prime Minister, Najib Razak, to express his “most sincere condolences” to the families of the dead.
Ukraine’s president had accepted an offer of US experts to help investigate the crash.
Who was on the Plane?
The 15 crew members on Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 were all Malaysian nationals. Malaysia Airlines also gave a breakdown of the known nationalities of the 283 passengers: 154 were Dutch, 27 were Australians, 28 were Malaysians, 12 were Indonesians, nine were from the UK, four were from Germany, four were from Belgium, three were from the Philippines and one was Canadian. Authorities are still trying to determine the nationalities of the other passengers.
Investigation
Aviation experts caution against jumping to conclusions about the crash at the early stage. But all agreed that a massive investigation should be launched involving parties not involved in the conflict between Russia and Ukraine.
The families of the people on board will demand a transparent international investigation. In the coming days, finding and examining the plane’s data recorders will be key, but the fact that the crash occurred in such a volatile region makes what comes next certain.
The big question will be, in whose hands will these records and proofs fall, and will the investigation be really objective
One Stop Summing Up: Vocabs & Expressions
US intelligence agencies 미국 정보 기관 / troubled area 분쟁으로 문제가 많은 지역 / declare independence 독립선언 / referendum 국민투표(n) / annex 합병하다(v) / rage 몰아치다(v) / quell 진압하다, 평정하다
(v) / subdue 진정하다(v) / seize 장악하다(v) / escalate (사건이) 심각한 사태로 번지다(v) / impose sanctions 제재를 가하다 / rebel 반군(n) / military cargo aircraft 군화물 항공기 / Russian-made missile 러시아제
미사일 / backdrop 배경(n) / consensus 합의(n) / transpire 발생하다(v) / bring to justice 법의 심판 / pro-Russian separatist rebel 친 러시아 분리주의 반군 / sincere condolences 진심 어린 애도 / nationality
국적(n) / aviation expert 항공 전문가 / caution against ~애 대해 주의시키다 / transparent 투명한 / international investigation 국제 조사 / volatile 예측 불허한
(원제: Missile Shot Down Malaysia Airlines Plane over Ukraine)
A Malaysia Airlines passenger jet carrying 283 passengers and 15 crew crashed in the east Ukraine region of Donetsk on July 17th. US intelligence agencies concluded a missile shot down the plane.
The plane was flying over a troubled area. Following the 2014 Crimean crisis, the separatists occupying the Donetsk declared independence from Ukraine. On May 11th, the separatists held a referendum on separating the region from Ukraine.
The 2014 Crimean Crisis
Tensions have been high between Ukraine and Russia since street protests in November last year, which ousted former Pro-Russia President Viktor Yanukovycho from power. In February, 2014, Russia subsequently annexed Crimea, Ukraine’s southeastern region. Following the Russian annexation of Crimea, pro-Russian separatist rebellion has been raging in Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk region.
Ukrainian forces have been struggling to quell the separatist unrest in the region. Ukraine’s government has accused Russia of allowing weapons and military equipment into the hands of pro-Russia separatists.
Despite Ukrainian’s efforts to subdue pro-Russian separatists, separatists seized town across the eastern region and, in April, declared an independent republic. The fighting escalated in the recent week, when Ukrainian authorities reported that one of their military cargo planes and one of their military fighter jets had been downed in the area.
Details and Accusations
Details and accusations quickly poured in about the crash. The huge loss of life threatens to have wide-ranging and unpredictable consequences.
The crash happened just after US imposed further sanctions on Russia for continuing to provide weapons to the rebels. In the same week, Ukraine officials said a Russian fighter shot down a Ukrainian military cargo aircraft.
Experts said pro-Russian separatists in Ukraine used the Russian-made missile to shot down the airplane. Rebels in the Donetsk have shot down several Ukrainian planes and helicopters in recent weeks.
But pro-Russian separatists insist that they had no part in the downing of MH17, claiming instead that Ukrainian fire was responsible.
Due to the conflict, European and Ukrainian authorities had banned aircraft from flying in the area of Eastern Ukraine. The jet, which was flying from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur, had been flying 1000ft above restricted airspace.
Against this backdrop, the consensus in the international community is that Ukrainians did not have the capability in the region - let alone motivation - to shoot down the plane.
The US vice-president, Joe Biden said the plane appeared to have been “blown out of the sky.”
“This was not an incident, this was a terrorist act”, said Ukraine’s president, Petro Poroshenko.
Malaysia’s Prime Minister, Najib Razak said “if it transpires that the flight was shot down, we insist that the perpetrator must swiftly be brought to justice.”
However, countries divided over whether the missile was launched by the Russian military or by pro-Russian separatist rebels. Officials say pro-Russian rebels might lack the expertise to bring down a commercial aircraft in midflight and would have needed specialists who had volunteered their services from Russia or locally recruited specialists.
Separatist leaders denied they had missiles that were powerful enough to shoot down a Boeing 777 flying at such a height.
“The plane was shot down by the Ukrainian side,” said Sergei Kavtaraze, one of the leaders of the separatist Donetsk People’s Republic.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said Ukraine’s military campaign against the separatists was to blame: “This tragedy would not have happened if there had been peace on that land. Without a doubt the government of the territory on which it happened bears responsibility for the tragedy.”
Putin later spoke by phone to the Malaysia Prime Minister, Najib Razak, to express his “most sincere condolences” to the families of the dead.
Ukraine’s president had accepted an offer of US experts to help investigate the crash.
Who was on the Plane?
The 15 crew members on Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 were all Malaysian nationals. Malaysia Airlines also gave a breakdown of the known nationalities of the 283 passengers: 154 were Dutch, 27 were Australians, 28 were Malaysians, 12 were Indonesians, nine were from the UK, four were from Germany, four were from Belgium, three were from the Philippines and one was Canadian. Authorities are still trying to determine the nationalities of the other passengers.
Investigation
Aviation experts caution against jumping to conclusions about the crash at the early stage. But all agreed that a massive investigation should be launched involving parties not involved in the conflict between Russia and Ukraine.
The families of the people on board will demand a transparent international investigation. In the coming days, finding and examining the plane’s data recorders will be key, but the fact that the crash occurred in such a volatile region makes what comes next certain.
The big question will be, in whose hands will these records and proofs fall, and will the investigation be really objective
One Stop Summing Up: Vocabs & Expressions
US intelligence agencies 미국 정보 기관 / troubled area 분쟁으로 문제가 많은 지역 / declare independence 독립선언 / referendum 국민투표(n) / annex 합병하다(v) / rage 몰아치다(v) / quell 진압하다, 평정하다
(v) / subdue 진정하다(v) / seize 장악하다(v) / escalate (사건이) 심각한 사태로 번지다(v) / impose sanctions 제재를 가하다 / rebel 반군(n) / military cargo aircraft 군화물 항공기 / Russian-made missile 러시아제
미사일 / backdrop 배경(n) / consensus 합의(n) / transpire 발생하다(v) / bring to justice 법의 심판 / pro-Russian separatist rebel 친 러시아 분리주의 반군 / sincere condolences 진심 어린 애도 / nationality
국적(n) / aviation expert 항공 전문가 / caution against ~애 대해 주의시키다 / transparent 투명한 / international investigation 국제 조사 / volatile 예측 불허한