Photo: Maxim Zmeyev/ Reuters
The Russian Federation is responsible for the downing of passenger aircraft flight MH17 in the skies over Donbas in 2014, the Council of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), which operates under the auspices of the United Nations, has concluded.
This is stated in official statements by the governments of the Netherlands and Australia, Reuters reports.
“This is an important step towards establishing the truth, justice and accountability for all victims of the plane crash,” said Dutch Foreign Minister Kaspar Veldkamp.
The crash killed 298 people, including 196 Dutch citizens and 38 Australians.
Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 was shot down on 17 July 2014 over eastern Ukraine, where fighting between pro-Russian militants and the Ukrainian army was ongoing.
In November 2022, a court in the Netherlands found three people guilty of murder – two Russian citizens and one Ukrainian. Moscow called the verdict “scandalous” and refused to extradite them.
The Montreal-based ICAO has no executive powers, but its decisions carry considerable international moral weight. The organisation is currently considering mechanisms for financial compensation to the affected families.
“We call on Russia to take responsibility for this horrific act of violence and to begin negotiations on reparations,” said Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong.
