Russia must assume responsibility for MH17 downing: UN aviation agency

Russia indispensable wage damages for the downing of a Malaysian airliner implicit Ukraine successful 2014, the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) says.

The United Nations aviation bureau has said Russia was liable for the downing of a Malaysian airliner implicit Ukraine successful 2014 that killed each 298 passengers and crew.

With 38 Australian citizens and 196 Dutch citizens connected committee the craft erstwhile it was downed, the 2 governments called connected Russia to instrumentality work for the incidental and wage damages. However, Russia has consistently denied immoderate engagement successful the downing of the plane.

Late connected Monday, the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) said Australia and the Netherlands’ claims implicit the shooting down of formation MH17 were “well-founded successful information and successful law”.

“The Russian Federation failed to uphold its obligations nether planetary aerial instrumentality successful the 2014 downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17,” the bureau said successful a statement.

According to planetary aerial law, a favoritism indispensable beryllium made betwixt subject craft and commercialized oregon different craft during warfare.

While the ICAO has nary regulatory powers, it holds motivation suasion and sets planetary aviation standards adopted by its 193-member states.

‘Important step’

Dutch Foreign Minister Caspar Veldkamp said successful a connection that the ICAO’s ruling successful the lawsuit launched successful 2022 was an “important measurement towards establishing the information and achieving justice”.

“This determination besides sends a wide connection to the planetary community: States cannot interruption planetary instrumentality with impunity,” helium said.

Moreover, Australia’s Foreign Minister Penny Wong said her authorities welcomed the determination and urged ICAO to swiftly find reparations.

“We telephone upon Russia to yet look up to its work for this horrific enactment of unit and marque reparations for its egregious conduct, arsenic required nether planetary law,” Wong said successful a statement.

Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha besides welcomed the ruling and said the determination was different measurement towards “restoring justness for this crime”.

“No substance however overmuch wealth and effort Russia enactment into lying to conceal its crimes, the information wins out, and justness prevails,” Sybiha wrote connected X.

On July 17, 2014, the Malaysian Airlines Boeing 777, travelling from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur, was deed by a Russian-made BUK surface-to-air rocket implicit eastbound Ukraine’s Donetsk region, wherever pro-Russian separatists were warring Ukrainian forces.

At the time, separatists successful the country claimed the airliner was changeable down by a Ukrainian subject jet, with Russian President Vladimir Putin accusing Ukraine of bearing “responsibility” for the deaths of the passengers.

In 2022, a Dutch tribunal sentenced 3 men to beingness sentences implicit the downing of the plane, including 2 Russians that Moscow refused to extradite.