A goofy, selfie-loving Russian soldier might have supplied the best proof yet of Moscow’s direct support of Ukrainian rebels — and potential role in the downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17.
Alexander Sotkin, 24, has been posting pictures of himself in various combat settings, such as an armored personnel carrier and military encampments.
And within his Instagram shots, Sotkin appears to have activated a locator map that showed how several images were shot and uploaded inside eastern Ukraine earlier this month.
His most recent shots, posted on Monday, pinpointed images to the rebel-controlled Ukrainian village of Donetsk, where much of Flight MH17’s wreckage was found.
Earlier this month, Sotkin’s pictures were traced to the Ukrainian village of Krasnyi Derkul.
By July 7, Sotkin began posting photos from back inside Russia, writing, “I still don’t understand what we’re doing here, so we’re continuing to go slightly crazy, listen to #swedishhousemafia and wait for new news from Ukraine!”
Even more disturbing, Buzzfeed reported, is a Sunday post when Sotkin captioned pictures: “Sitting around, working on a buk, listening to music, basically a good Sunday.”
It’s believed a Russian-made Buk missile system brought down Flight MH17 on July 17, killing all 298 on board.
The Kremlin has steadfastly denied any role in the downing of Flight MH17 or fighting alongside pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine.
Despite his serious work, Sotkin enjoys having fun on the job. One recent picture has him smiling widely just before biting into a watermelon wedge. He also likes to show off his tattoos and make funny faces for the camera.
Sotkin is not the only Russian soldier to give clues as to his country’s involvement in the Ukrainian conflict.
Vadim Grigoriev posted several images on the Russian social media site VK showing Russian artillery positions with the caption, “We Pounded Ukraine all night.”
He later went on Russian TV to explain that his account had been hacked.
Russian lawmakers are considering banning all military personnel from using social media while on active duty.
