Tenth anniversary of MH17: EU calls on Russia to accept responsibility

This is stated on the website of the EU Council.

"On 17 July, we honour the memory of the 298 innocent people, including 80 children, of 17 nationalities who lost their lives in the downing of ‘Malaysia Airlines’ Flight MH17 ten years ago. The ten-year commemoration brings back very painful memories. We renew our deepest sympathies to the families and friends of the victims," the statement said.

The statement notes that the evidence presented by the Joint Investigation Team during the proceedings in the District Court of the Netherlands and submitted to the European Court of Human Rights and the Council of the International Civil Aviation Organisation clearly indicates that the Buk anti-aircraft missile system used to shoot down flight MH17 undoubtedly belonged to the Russian armed forces.

"No Russian disinformation operation can distract from these basic facts, established by a court of law," the EU added.

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.