The Malaysia's Negotiation Team for MH17 in Donetsk, popularly known as "The Dozen Persons", was a covert task force of 12 Malaysians representing the Malaysian government. Their mission was to negotiate with the authorities controlling the region in eastern Ukraine where Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 (MH17) was shot down on 17 July 2014.
Malaysia, maintaining neutrality and friendly relations with both NATO-aligned and pro-Russian factions, chose to operate independently in the war zone. This covert approach ensured the MH17 tragedy would not be used to further inflame the conflict. At the time of the incident, responsibility for the crash remained unclear.
Background The news of MH17's disappearance was officially relayed to its operator, Malaysia Airlines, by Ukrainian Air Traffic Control on 17 July 2014, at 10:15 p.m. Malaysian time, approximately three hours after the plane's departure from Amsterdam. Acting swiftly, Malaysia mobilised a delegation of over 133 government and diplomatic officials to investigate and recover the crash site in Hrabove, Donetsk. The delegation departed from Kuala Lumpur on 18 July and reached Kiev at 4 a.m. local Ukrainian time on 19 July, following a 13-hour flight.
Despite their arrival, the crash site presented significant challenges. Located in a war-torn region controlled by the pro-Russian Donetsk separatists, the area was fraught with danger, rendering immediate recovery efforts impossible.
Recognising the challenges, Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak contacted Russian President Vladimir Putin, seeking safe passage for the Malaysian delegation. Putin facilitated communication with Alexander Borodai, the leader of the separatist-controlled region. While Borodai assured safety within his territory, the issue of navigating between warring factions remained unresolved.
Formation of the team Prime Minister Najib Razak, operating from the National Security Council (NSC) command room, consulted senior officials, including Datuk Mohamed Thajudeen Abdul Wahab, the NSC Secretary General, to determine Malaysia's response to the MH17 crisis. Recognising the risks of deploying a large group, the NSC opted for a smaller covert team.
This covert approach aimed to ensure the team's safety while reducing the risk of foreign intelligence agencies infiltrating the operation, which could damage Malaysia's delicate relationship with the pro-Russian Donetsk separatists. Additionally, a covert strategy addressed concerns from the Ukrainian government, which opposed direct contact between Malaysian officials and the separatists. Such contact could have been perceived as Malaysia tacitly recognising the separatists as a legitimate sovereign entity.
Datuk Thajudeen recommended Lieutenant Colonel Mohd Sakri Hussin, an NSC officer already in Kiev, to lead the mission. During a meeting with other agency representatives in Kiev, Lieutenant Colonel Sakri was approached by Arif Baharom, the Prime Minister's representative, and was given direct instructions via telephone from both Thajudeen and Najib Razak to take command of the operation.
Mission objectives Lieutenant Colonel Sakri was assigned two primary tasks by Najib Razak:
Retrieve the MH17's flight recorder. Recover and repatriate the remains of the MH17 crew and passengers, along with their belongings.
Team members Drawing on his recent experience in a plane crash recovery mission in the Philippines, Lieutenant Colonel Sakri identified four essential fields for the operation: security, pathology, medical, and communications. Additionally, he included a chaplain to provide religious support, particularly in case some remains had to be interred locally in Donetsk.
The team members selected by Lieutenant Colonel Sakri included experts in each of these fields, each chosen for their specialised skills and ability to operate in high-risk environments. +MH17's The Dozen PersonsNameRank at the timeServicesUnitRoleMohd Sakri HussinLieutenant ColonelNational Security CouncilMission commander & chief negotiatorDatuk Dr. Mohd Ilham HaronBrigadier GeneralRoyal Medical CorpsOdontologistDr. Mohd Shah MahmoodPublic servantMinistry of HealthKuala Lumpur HospitalPathologist & Disaster Victim Identification (DVI)Nazri MusmanMajorMilitary Religious CorpsReligious (chaplain) supportDr. Mohd Hafizi AbdullahMajorRoyal Medical CorpsMedical doctorMuhammad Mustafa Omar MajorRMAF Special ForcesAircraft engineer & security personnelDr. Mohd Zainizam ZainalCaptainRoyal Medical CorpsInterpreter & medical doctorAbd Rahim Abd AzizInspectorRoyal Malaysia PoliceSpecial Disaster Assistance and Rescue TeamVehicle extrication specialist & the team's treasurerShahrizal Abu BakarAir Force SergeantRMAF Special ForcesSecurity personnel & the team's head of securityRosli MustafaAir Force CorporalRMAF Special ForcesSecurity personnelMohd Afendy Ahmad ZainiLeading AircraftmanRMAF Special ForcesSecurity personnelRosli ShaariCivilianSapura GroupCommunications (Satellite) Specialist & Person-in-Charge of the Team Documentation All members of the Dozen Persons task force were instructed by mission commander, Lieutenant Colonel Sakri, to pose as civilians for the duration of the mission. They were required to leave behind all weapons and military identification in Kiev, carrying only civilian clothing.
The journey from Kiev to Donetsk The journey from Kiev to Donetsk, which would typically take only a few hours, stretched into a gruelling two-day ordeal for the team due to the ongoing civil war. The team had to pass through twelve checkpoints. At each checkpoint, their credentials and purpose were scrutinised for approximately an hour, significantly delaying their progress. Their vehicle, a rented black Mercedes minivan, was struck several times by stray bullets and sniper fire during the journey.
Kiev to Kharkiv
To maintain secrecy, the Dozen Persons team rented a black minivan and began their journey under the cover of dusk, departing Kiev at 4 p.m. on 20 July 2014. For the first leg of the trip, from Kiev to Kharkiv, they hired two local Ukrainian drivers. Travelling cautiously to avoid drawing attention, they arrived in Kharkiv around 10 p.m., passing through two Ukrainian military and police checkpoints along the way. However, finding food for their suhur (pre-dawn meal during Ramadan) proved difficult, leaving them unable to secure provisions even by 2 a.m.
The following morning, as they prepared for the final leg of their journey, the team reflected on the risks ahead. Based on information from Captain Dr. Zainizam, their interpreter and a former medical student in Ukraine, they imagined the separatist forces as fierce and unpredictable mercenaries. Given the perceived peril, they took a group photo, symbolically treating it as a "last picture" in case their mission turned tragic. Due to the risks of the mission, they could find only one local driver willing to convey them from Kharkiv to Donetsk.
The route to Donetsk
As the team prepared to depart Kharkiv on the morning of 21 July, Lieutenant Colonel Sakri received alarming intelligence that their mission might have been compromised and that they were being followed. Despite recommendations to abandon the mission, the team unanimously decided to proceed, departing Kharkiv at 8 a.m. local time.
The journey from Kharkiv to Donetsk was fraught with challenges due to the ongoing civil war. Many roads were destroyed, requiring the team to rely on military intelligence provided to Lieutenant Colonel Sakri and guidance from locals to determine a viable route. Along the way, they encountered active combat zones, forcing them to detour through off-road paths, including forest trails, sunflower fields, and wheat fields, to avoid being caught in the crossfire.
During this leg of the journey, the team passed through 10 checkpoints: eight manned by Ukrainian military forces and two by separatists. At the ninth checkpoint, their covert mission was exposed when Ukrainian intelligence became aware of their presence. Lieutenant Colonel Sakri received direct orders from Ukrainian officials to turn back, along with warnings of "serious consequences" if they continued. Despite the threats, the team resolved to press forward with their mission.
Reaching Donetsk
At the separatist-controlled checkpoints, Lieutenant Colonel Sakri provided a secret passcode, which had been prearranged with the separatist leadership. Upon verification, the team was warmly received by the separatist forces. Their minivan was then escorted by separatist armoured vehicles to the headquarters in downtown Donetsk, marking the conclusion of their treacherous journey.
Negotiation
The team arrived at the separatist headquarters on 21 July at approximately 2:40 p.m. and were directed to a conference room to prepare for the negotiation. After waiting for nearly two hours, Alexander Borodai, leader of the region where MH17 crashed, and his delegates arrived. Following a brief welcome briefing, Lieutenant Colonel Mohd Sakri Hussin and Captain Dr. Zainizam Zainal were summoned to a private office for the negotiation.
Initially, Captain Dr. Zainizam was denied entry. However, after a test of his fluency in Russian, he was permitted to participate. The closed-door negotiation involved four individuals:
Lieutenant Colonel Mohd Sakri Hussin: Lead Malaysian negotiator Alexander Borodai: Leader of the separatist-controlled region where MH17 crashed Purgin Andre: Separatist official and Russian-English translator Captain Dr. Mohd Zainizam Zainal: Russian-English-Malay translator
Additionally, the negotiation was reportedly observed via telephone by someone Borodai referred to as "Mr. President".
The full details of the four-hour negotiation remain undisclosed. However, Lieutenant Colonel Sakri presented Malaysia's requests related to the MH17 incident:
Release of all victims' bodies to the Malaysian team. Handover of the MH17 flight recorders to Malaysia. Return of all victims' personal belongings to the Malaysian team. Immediate access to the crash site for the Dozen Persons, along with future access for neutral parties endorsed by Malaysia.
While Borodai agreed to requests 1, 2, and 4, he rejected request 3. He explained that the explosion of MH17 in mid-air had scattered debris, including victims' personal belongings, across a vast area spanning more than radius. Some items had likely been lost or taken, making full recovery impossible.
Events after the negotiation
Press conferences and handover of MH17 flight recorders The handover of the MH17 flight recorders took place on 22 July 2014, during a small press conference. The ceremony involved the exchange of documentation between Lieutenant Colonel Sakri, representing the Malaysian Government, and Purgin Andre, representing Donetsk authorities, with Alexander Borodai as a witness. The flight recorders were then inspected by Major Muhammad Mustafa Omar, a former aircraft engineer. Major Mustafa verified the serial numbers provided by Malaysia Airlines and checked the recorders for signs of tampering, such as attempts to open, damage, or replace them. After confirming their authenticity, the recorders were handed over to the security team of the Dozen Persons.
Transfer of victims' bodies The victims' bodies had been stored in a cargo train by separatists and civilian volunteers in Donetsk since the second day of the crash. These efforts were overseen by a forensic team from the Netherlands. Any additional remains recovered later were also loaded onto the train, with assistance from members of the Dozen Persons.
Visit to the crash site