Investigators probing the downing of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 in 2014 have recorded phone calls that draw a connection between pro-Russian rebels implicated in the missile strike and a senior aide for Russian President Vladimir Putin. The international Joint Investigation Team (JIT), based from the Netherlands, publicly released the calls between the members of the armed Russian separatist group Donetsk People's Republic (DPR), which has fought against the Ukrainian government for independence in eastern Ukraine. According to the phone calls, senior members of the DPR "maintained contact with Russian government officials about Russian military support," including Vladislav Surkov, a senior aide to President Putin. "Well, your plans are far-reaching.