According to a news report in UK’s Independent, Ukraine’s most senior forensic scientist, Oleksandr Ruvin was shot in the leg late last year.

Police now believe the attack was linked to Ruvin’s role as an expert witness in the investigation into the downing of the plane.

Ukrainian chief military prosecutor, Anatoliy Matios, is to hold a briefing shortly “regarding the arrest of the killer who attempted to murder the chief expert on the case of the downed Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777,” a statement from the prosecutor’s office said.

In October last year, a report on the disaster confirmed MH17 was shot down by a Russian-built Buk surface-to-air missile launched from eastern Ukraine, when the plane was flying over a conflict zone.

The attack killed all 298 people on board the flight on their way to Kuala Lumpur from Amsterdam.

A criminal investigation is now underway to determine who was responsible for firing the missle.

Recent Dutch media reports have suggested evidence about the type of missile and the location it was fired, details of which are to be presented “before the second half of the year.”