Russia was responsible for creating the "conditions" that led to the missile shooting of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17, according to unnamed U.S. intelligence officials.

The officials said on Tuesday that the Russia-backed anti-Ukraine forces most likely launched the missile that downed the passenger jet last Thursday, leaving all 298 people on board dead.

Like Us on Facebook

However, the officials did not directly link Moscow to the incident, Fox News explained.

The assessment comes after the release of statements from the State Department connecting the air strike to Russia and the anti-Ukraine separatists, who allegedly launched the SA-11 ground-to-air missile based party on footage of evidence from the crash site.

Intercepted conversations, social media posts, and satellite photos also suggest the separatists shot down the plane from eastern Ukraine. However, the identity of the shooters and the presence of Russian operatives during the launch remain unconfirmed.

Russia took over Crimea, a city in eastern Ukraine, after citizens ousted pro-Russian leader Viktor Yanukoych. This situation led to a constant battle between the separatists and eastern Ukraine's central government.

On Tuesday, a senior intelligence officer confirmed that separatists are undergoing air defense systems training at a Russian facility in Rostov adjacent to the Ukrainian border. They also said Russia stepped up its campaign against Ukraine by training the rebels and providing them with more tanks and rocket launchers even after the MH17 shooting.

According to the U.S. officials, the rebels most likely made a mistake in shooting down the passenger jet. Separatists already brought down 12 of Ukraine's military aircrafts.

Russia's explanations for the MH17 are just not plausible, a senior intelligence official added. Investigators say they are confident that Ukraine's air defense system was beyond the range of the Malaysian plane.

The U.S. Embassy in Kiev released a document containing eyewitness accounts and other evidence indicating that the separatists brought down the jetliner using an SA-11 ground-to-air missile. The analysis was based on various factors including the recent influx of heavy weapons from Russia to the separatists, embassy officials explained.

The embassy officials added that authorities detected a missile launch from the area controlled by the separatists at the exact time that a missile made contact with Flight MH17.

TagsFlight MH17, US intelligence, Ukraine Rebels