The Dutch-led team investigating the downing of flight MH17 said it had ‘learned with considerable interest’ about new claims made by online investigation group Bellingcat.

Bellingcat said on Friday it had identified a man heard speaking on a number of intercepted phone calls as Russian general Nikolai Fedorovich Tkachev following voice analysis.

The identity of the owner of the voice, known as Delfin, is considered key to the investigation and last year the investigation team (JIT) appealed for help in identifying him and another voice known as Orion.

‘There are a number of details surrounding Delfin and Orion that are unclear, including their exact role in the downing of MH17, but the fact that the JIT has specifically requested information on them implies how they are key persons of interest in the criminal investigation of the tragedy,’ Bellingcat said.

The JIT statement said that reactions to the call for information would be seriously looked at, including the information provided by Bellingcat. However, the JIT declined to give further information in the interests of the investigation and out of privacy considerations.

An analysis of the findings by international law professor Marieke de Hoon in Trouw suggests they could be a ‘game changer’ if correct.

This would prove Russia had a presence in Ukraine at the time MH17 was shot down, which has major consequences under the European Convention on Human Rights.