New evidence suggests that the downing of the Malaysian Airlines plane MH17 was caused by a shot from a Ukrainian fighter jet rather than a ground-to-air missile.

The damning allegations will be revealed in a BBC documentary which puts forward a number of theories as to why the aircraft exploded.

It is even argued that the tragedy was caused by a CIA-backed 'terrorist operation.'

The Boeing 777 exploded over eastern Ukraine on July 17, 2014 and killed 298 people, as it headed towards Kuala Lumpur.

Although the official report states that the plane was hit by a Russian-made Buk missile fired from an area of the Ukraine that was under the control of rebels, the programme notes that people saw the aircraft being shot down by a fighter jet.

Speaking in the documentary, Natasha Beronina, said: 'It was summer, harvest time. We heard a bang.
'At first we thought we saw black smoke and two planes, little ones like silver toys. One flew straight on and the other one turned round when the bang happened and flew back from where it had come.'

Another witness even said that they saw a jet launch a missile before hearing a big boom. 

The Sunday Express noted that German investigative journalist, Billy Six, interviewed 100 witnesses for the programme, seven of which said they saw a fighter jet.

They believed that two jets were present and that one fired an air-to-air missile, while the other fired a canon from the back into MH17's cockpit.

However, this was something that was profusely denied by pilot, Captain Vladislav Voloshin, who was accused of being responsible.

Captain Vladislav Voloshin denies he was responsible for the crash

In the interview, Voloshin said that there were no flights on that day and there were also no air-to-air missiles, as they were carrying air-to-surface missiles for ground targets.

Another extraordinary theory mentioned in the programme is that the aircraft was detonated in a CIA-backed 'terrorist operation', where two bombs were planted on the airliner.

This allegation was put forward by private investigator, Sergey Sokolov, who claimed that the CIA were helped by the Ukrainian secret service and Dutch security service, to place the bombs on the plane in Holland.

He said: 'This terrorist act was a pretext for firstly intensifying sanctions on Russia, secondly to show the world that Russia is a barbarian country and thirdly to strengthen the presence of Nato in Europe, particularly Ukraine.' 

Speaking after the death of three Ukrainian soldiers today, Military spokesman Oleksandr Motuzyanyk said: 'As a result of hostilities, three Ukrainian soldiers have been killed and another six wounded over the past 24 hours'.'

According to Motuzyanyk, the situation along the frontline 'had escalated again', accusing separatists of ramping up attacks against the Kiev military and using heavy weapons.

He said: 'The invaders are actively using mortars and armoured vehicles along the entire frontline.

A series of truce agreements have helped reduce the violence, although sporadic clashes continue and prevent the sides from reaching a firm political reconciliation deal.

Around 9,200 people have died and more than 21,000 been injured since the revolt against Ukraine's pro-Western leadership erupted in eastern Ukraine in April 2014.

Kiev and the West accuse Russia of supporting the insurgents and sending regular troops across the border, claims that Moscow denies.

Earlier this week, Ukraine's defence minister Stepan Poltorak warned it may take years to end a war that plunged Moscow's relations with the West to a post-Cold War low.

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