Ten years since MH17 tragedy: memory and truth

The tragedy that claimed the lives of 298 people continues to resonate with pain in the hearts of their families and the entire world. This incident has become one of the most high-profile and controversial disasters in aviation history.

Flight MH17 was shot down on July 17, 2014, after only three hours of flight. The flight was flying over the occupied territory of eastern Ukraine, where fierce fighting between the Ukrainian military and Russian forces was taking place nearby.

There were 283 passengers and 15 crew members on board, flying from Amsterdam, the capital of the Netherlands, to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Among the dead were many citizens of the Netherlands, as well as Malaysia, Australia, Indonesia, the United Kingdom, Germany, Belgium, the Philippines, Canada, and New Zealand. They were of different ages and nationalities, and there were 80 children on board, but they were united by the tragic fate of this flight.

Investigation and conclusions

The international Joint Investigation Team (JIT), which included representatives from the Netherlands, Ukraine, Australia, Belgium and Malaysia, conducted a large-scale investigation. It found that the plane was shot down by a Buk surface-to-air missile system, which was at the disposal of the 53rd Anti-Aircraft Missile Brigade of the Russian Armed Forces. This system was delivered from Russia on the eve of the tragedy and fired from the territory of Ukraine controlled by pro-Russian militants. These findings were confirmed by various sources, including satellite images and eyewitness accounts.

After the downing, the Buk system was quickly returned to Russia to make it more difficult to detect and investigate. Parts of the plane crashed near the occupied city of Torez, located in the Donetsk region, so access to the crash site was also limited. This made it much more difficult to collect evidence, but international experts were still able to obtain the necessary materials for analysis. Immediately after the wreckage fell, militants arrived at the site of the tragedy, and members of the international commission were not allowed to access the area for some time. The experts were able to fully remove the wreckage for analysis only in November 2014.

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Dutch prosecutors have posted all available evidence on a specialized information page on the Internet, which includes a chronology of events, maps, photographs, and even video interviews.

Russia actively tried to conceal its involvement in the downing of flight MH17. This was done through various methods of disinformation, manipulation of evidence, and intimidation of witnesses. Immediately after the downing of flight MH17 by militants, Russian channels and social media actively disseminated news about the downing of a “Ukrainian bird”, which was allegedly an An-26 transport aircraft of the Ukrainian Air Force. This bragging and threats of further downing of any aircraft over the occupied territories ended only when it became clear what a mistake the Russian terrorists had made. Since then, Russian media have published numerous fake news stories, including fake eyewitness accounts and fabricated documents, to confuse the investigation and the public. And their own news and boasts about the downing of the plane have been qualitatively “cleaned up”.

In addition, Russian state media and officials actively promoted different versions of what happened to MH17. Among them were statements that the plane was shot down by a Ukrainian fighter jet, blown up from the inside, or that the missile was fired from territory controlled by the Ukrainian army.

Later, Disinfo Review would write that all of these actions by Russia were aimed at complicating the investigation process, creating confusion and diverting attention from the real perpetrators of the tragedy.

“The pro-Kremlin disinformation campaign in regards to the downing of flight MH17 is a textbook example of the important point that these kinds of campaigns rarely aim at making us believe in one particular truth. No, the aim has been and remains to confuse us, to promote the false belief that no clarity has been achieved and that we will probably never learn what really happened.” 

According to the final report of the Dutch Safety Board, the Russian Federation has imposed a ban on civilian aviation flights at altitudes of up to 16 km (53,000 feet) over eastern Ukraine. This restriction was imposed on the night of July 17, 2014, the actual day of the downing of flight MH17.

This step did set a precedent, as most international airlines continued to fly at altitudes above 10 km above the conflict zone, as it was believed that at this altitude, aircraft were out of range of weapons used on the ground. However, the Rostov controller, who must have known about the ban, gave his permission to continue flying in the danger zone.

All of these facts make us wonder how cynical and horrific the true motive of the Russian side was. In an emotional letter to Vladimir Putin from the victims' lawyer Jerome Skinner, he said that the Russian leader and the military must atone and be held accountable for the deaths of almost three hundred innocent people. This letter was published by The Sydney Morning Herald. Skinner notes:

“Some think MH17 must have been a terrible, inevitable mistake of war. I do not think that is the truth. The facts scream intent and motive. It was a calculated military strike as willful as the killing of one more political opponent.”

Justice and search for those responsible

The Dutch Safety Board has published several reports claiming that MH17 was shot down by a Buk missile launched from territory controlled by pro-Russian militants. Later, the investigation team showed a piece of the same missile that downed the civilian plane.

In November 2018, the relatives of the victims of the Malaysian Boeing-777 plane crash filed lawsuits against Russia with the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR). They accused the Russian authorities of involvement in the downing of the plane. A year later, part of the case of the MH17 crash was transferred to the International Criminal Court in The Hague to ensure a fair trial and bring the perpetrators to justice.

In 2021, the Hague court began hearing the case of the downing of flight MH17. This was an important step in the investigation and efforts to bring those involved in the tragedy to justice. The trial and investigation into the crash became extremely complex and multifaceted, involving both legal and diplomatic aspects. It is important to note that the investigation lasted for many years, and it was accompanied by international cooperation and a thorough analysis of evidence.

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The court in The Hague, which took place on November 17, 2022, passed a verdict and found only Igor Girkin, Serhiy Dubinsky and Leonid Kharchenko guilty of shooting down flight MH17 and killing 298 people. Oleg Pulatov was acquitted due to lack of evidence of his direct involvement in the missile launch. The three convicts were sentenced in absentia to life imprisonment.

In January 2023, the European Court of Justice ruled that the Netherlands could claim compensation from Russia for the downing of a Malaysian civilian airplane in 2014.

These steps were important in the search for justice for the victims and their families, but the issue of accountability at the state level remains unresolved. The families of the victims continue to demand the truth and accountability from those involved in this tragedy, as even those convicted in absentia remain at large, likely in Russia or in territories controlled by pro-Russian forces.

In addition, important details later became known. According to Reuters, in February 2023, prosecutors found evidence that the decision to transfer the SAM system that shot down Flight MH17 to the DPR militants was made by Russian dictator Vladimir Putin. It has not yet been possible to establish his direct involvement in the downing. Despite the evidence and the decisions of international courts, Putin does not admit guilt and even granted the title of “Guards” to the 53rd Anti-Aircraft Missile Brigade, which was involved in the crash.

The tragedy of Flight MH17 caused a wave of outrage and condemnation from the international community. The European Union, the United States, and other countries imposed sanctions on Russia in response to its involvement in the war in eastern Ukraine and the downing of the plane. Russia denies all accusations of involvement in the incident, offering various alternative theories.

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Ten years later, we remember the victims of this terrible tragedy and their families, who continue to live with pain and loss. This day is a reminder of the importance of international solidarity and justice. We must remember those who lost their lives and realize that this is just one of Russia's many terrorist acts.

Today, many countries around the world will hold ceremonies to commemorate the victims of MH17. In the Netherlands, in particular, a memorial ceremony is usually held where the families of the victims, officials and the public can honor the memory of those who died in this disaster.

The MH17 tragedy remains a painful wound in the hearts of many people. We continue to remember, seek the truth and demand justice.