With the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine, this year’s anniversary has hit the international community even harder. Russia denied involvement in the downing of MH17, despite the findings of an international investigation that found multiple witnesses who saw an anti-aircraft missile launcher that had secretly crossed into Ukraine from Russia in the hours before it shot down the commercial flight.
MFA of Ukraine issued a statement on the eighth anniversary of the downing of Flight MH17.
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“On this day, we commemorate the eighth anniversary of the downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17, resulting in the tragic deaths of 298 passengers and crew members. Our thoughts remain with those who perished on board, their families and loved ones,” the statement reads.
According to the statement, Ukraine remains steadfast in its commitment to pursue truth, justice and accountability for the downing of Flight MH17. “We have full confidence in the independent, open and impartial criminal proceedings against the alleged perpetrators in the Dutch National Prosecution and the state responsibility proceedings in the International Civil Aviation Organization. We urge all states and parties involved to cooperate fully with the proceedings in accordance with UNSC Resolution 2166 (2014). A thorough and exhaustive judicial process must be pursued to hold the perpetrators to account and pursue justice for the victims and next of kin of MH17,” MFA of Ukraine stressed.
In its turne the European Union reiterates its full support for all efforts to establish the truth, achieving justice for the 298 victims of the downing of Flight MH17 and their next of kin and holding those responsible to account, in accordance with the United Nations Security Council Resolution 2166.
EU High Representative Josep Borrell said this in a statement published on the website of the European Council, Ukrinform reports.
“Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine is a painful reminder of what happened eight years ago to the 298 people on board Flight MH17 and it strengthens the need to establish accountability. Recalling its previous statements, the European Union takes note of all legal proceedings that are taking place in this regard and expects Russia to accept its responsibility and to fully cooperate with efforts to establish accountability,” Borrell said.
Malaysia Airlines flight 17, also called Malaysia Airlines flight MH17, was a passenger flight from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur that was shot down on July 17, 2014, while it was flying over eastern Ukraine, killing all 283 passengers and 15 crew onboard. The incident took place during the war in Donbas over an area controlled by Russian separatist forces. The plane was shot down by a Buk surface-to-air missile launched from pro-Russian separatist-controlled territory in Ukraine. The international Joint Investigation Team reported that the plane had been shot down from a Buk missile system that belonged to the 53rd Anti-Aircraft Missile Brigade of the Russian Armed Forces stationed in Kursk.
On June 19, 2019, the JIT named four suspects believed to be involved in the transportation and combat use of the Buk missile system, from which MH17 flight had been downed. Three of them are Russians: Igor Girkin (Strelkov), former colonel in Russia's FSB intelligence service and former so-called defense minister of the so-called "Donetsk People's Republic"; Sergey Dubinskiy, general (at the time of downing – colonel) of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces and head of the so-called "Main Intelligence Directorate of the Donetsk People’s Republic"; Oleg Pulatov, lieutenant colonel of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces. The fourth suspect is Leonid Kharchenko, a Ukrainian civilian, who fought on the side of the so-called "Donetsk People's Republic.
In March 2020, the District Court of The Hague began the consideration of the case over the downing of Flight MH17.
Read more: Chronicle of the Russian Federation Crimes in Ukraine (July)
