International Civil Aviation Organization blames Russia for MH17 downing. Ukraine responds

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands reported the information.

The decision was made on May 12 through a vote by the members of the ICAO Council. The vast majority of council members supported the position of the Netherlands and Australia, who are requesting that Moscow be obliged to start negotiations on this issue and to oversee the process.

"I am satisfied with the ICAO Council's decision, first and foremost for the sake of the relatives of the victims of flight MH17. This decision cannot take away their grief and suffering, but it is an important step toward establishing truth, justice, and accountability for all the victims of flight MH17 and their families. Moreover, this decision sends a clear signal to the international community that states cannot violate international law without consequences," said the Dutch Minister of Foreign Affairs.

Ukraine's response

Ukraine's Ambassador to Canada, Yuliya Kovaliv, who also serves as the country's representative to ICAO, stated in a comment to European Pravda that Russia will not escape responsibility for each of its crimes, and that "today’s decision by the ICAO Council in the MH17 case is yet another important step in holding the Russian Federation accountable."

“Civil aviation is a sensitive issue for the Russians, and we will continue working to ensure that violators of the Chicago Convention, such as Russia and Iran, are held accountable,” Kovaliv added.

Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha also responded to the ICAO decision. According to him, this is another step on the path toward restoring justice for this crime.

“This is also a clear signal: no matter how much money and effort Russia puts into lies and covering up its crimes, truth prevails, and justice triumphs,” he said.

He also congratulated Dutch Foreign Minister Caspar Veldkamp and Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong on a “shared victory that is extremely important for the families of those who died in the MH17 tragedy.”

Downing of flight MH17 in skies over eastern Ukraine

The Malaysia Airlines passenger Boeing-777 with 298 people on board, which was flying from Amsterdam (Netherlands) to Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia), was shot down in the temporarily occupied territory of Donbas on July 17, 2014. All people died in the crash: 283 passengers and 15 crew members. 

In May 2018, the Joint Investigation Team presented a report that concluded that Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 was shot down by a Buk missile system of the 53rd Anti-Aircraft Missile Brigade of the Russian Armed Forces. The International Investigation Team also showed a piece of the missile that shot down MH17.

The Dutch prosecutor's office has demanded life imprisonment for the four accused of downing flight MH17 - three Russians and one Ukrainian: Igor Girkin, Sergey Dubinsky, Oleg Pulatov and Leonid Kharchenko. The prosecution believes that the perpetrators should pay compensation to the families of the victims.

In June 2022, the trial over the downing of the MH17 aircraft over Donetsk region ended in the Netherlands. On July 16, the EU called for those responsible for the downing to be brought to justice.

On November 17, 2022, the court in The Hague announced the verdict: the plane was shot down in 2014 by Donetsk separatists. According to the tribunal, the Buk system was fired from the village of Pervomaiske, Donetsk region. At the time, the village was under the control of the DPR. According to the verdict, Igor Girkin and his subordinates, Sergei Dubinsky and Leonid Kharchenko, are guilty of the crime. They are responsible for the deaths of 298 people. Oleg Pulatov, who was another suspect, was found not guilty.

On January 25, 2023, the European Court of Justice ruled that the Netherlands has the right to claim compensation from Russia for the downing of passenger flight MH17 in July 2014.

In February, prosecutors found evidence that it was Russian President Vladimir Putin who decided to supply the Buk missile system to the DPR terrorists to shoot down MH17. Subsequently, the Netherlands summoned the Russian ambassador and demanded explanations in connection with the findings of the Joint Investigation Team regarding the investigation of the downing of flight MH17 and Putin's involvement in it.

Instead, the Russian president awarded the honorary 'Guards' title the 53rd Anti-Aircraft Missile Brigade, which was involved in the downing of the Malaysian passenger flight MH17.

Later, media reported that the Dutch authorities considered military intervention when Russian militants shot down the Malaysian Boeing-777 flight MH17 over Donbas in 2014.

• On the eve of the tenth anniversary of the downing of Malaysian Boeing-777 flight MH17, the European Union has called on Russia to admit responsibility for the tragedy.