UN aviation agency finds Russia responsible for downing of MH17
The United Nations aviation agency has ruled that Russia was responsible for the downing of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 over eastern Ukraine in July 2014, resulting in the deaths of all 298 people on board. Despite the Kremlin's denial, the UN's Council of the International Civil Aviation Organization determined that Russia failed to comply with international air law prohibiting the use of weapons against civilian aircraft. The flight, traveling from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur, was shot down over the Donbas region during a conflict involving pro-Russian rebels and Ukrainian forces. The ruling was welcomed by the Australian and Dutch governments, who initiated the case in 2022, and it underscores the message that states cannot violate international law with impunity. A Dutch court had previously convicted two Russians and a pro-Moscow Ukrainian of murder in absentia, sentencing them to life in prison, although they have not been extradited to serve their sentences.
Context:
The United Nations aviation agency has ruled that Russia was responsible for the downing of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 over eastern Ukraine in July 2014, resulting in the deaths of all 298 people on board. Despite the Kremlin's denial, the UN's Council of the International Civil Aviation Organization determined that Russia failed to comply with international air law prohibiting the use of weapons against civilian aircraft. The flight, traveling from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur, was shot down over the Donbas region during a conflict involving pro-Russian rebels and Ukrainian forces. The ruling was welcomed by the Australian and Dutch governments, who initiated the case in 2022, and it underscores the message that states cannot violate international law with impunity. A Dutch court had previously convicted two Russians and a pro-Moscow Ukrainian of murder in absentia, sentencing them to life in prison, although they have not been extradited to serve their sentences.
Dive Deeper:
The United Nations aviation agency ruled that Russia is responsible for the downing of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17, which was shot down over eastern Ukraine in July 2014, killing all 298 people on board.
The UN's Council of the International Civil Aviation Organization found that Russia failed to uphold its obligations under international air law, specifically the requirement for states to refrain from using weapons against civilian aircraft in flight.
MH17 was traveling from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur when it was struck by a Russian-made missile over the Donbas region of Ukraine, a conflict zone with pro-Russian rebels fighting Ukrainian forces.
Australia and the Netherlands, whose citizens were among the victims, brought the case to the UN in 2022 and welcomed the ICAO's ruling as a step toward truth, justice, and accountability.
A Dutch court had previously ruled that a Russian-controlled group was responsible for downing the plane, convicting two Russians and a pro-Moscow Ukrainian national of murder in absentia and sentencing them to life in prison, though they remain at large.