Official ruling says Kremlin was behind one of aviation’s deadliest disasters
In a major international ruling, the UN’s official aviation body has found that Russia was responsible for shooting down Malaysian Airlines flight MH17, which killed 298 people back in 2014.
The tragic flight was en route from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur when it was brought down over eastern Ukraine on 17 July 2014, right in the middle of a deadly conflict between pro-Russian separatists and Ukrainian forces.
Despite years of denial from the Kremlin, the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) has now concluded that a Russian-made missile was used to take down the plane. The ruling confirms that Russia violated global air laws by failing to prevent the use of weapons against a civilian aircraft in flight.
What happened?
MH17 was flying over Ukraine’s Donbas region when it was struck by a missile, causing it to crash and kill everyone on board.
Among the victims were:
- 196 Dutch citizens
- 38 Australians
- 10 British nationals
- As well as several Malaysians, Belgians and others
The case was brought forward to the UN by Australia and the Netherlands in 2022, seeking accountability after years of investigations and international pressure.
What have leaders said?
Australia’s Foreign Minister Penny Wong didn’t hold back:
“We call upon Russia to finally face up to its responsibility for this horrific act of violence and make reparations.”
Dutch Foreign Minister Caspar Veldkamp called the ruling “an important step towards establishing the truth and achieving justice and accountability.”
Why it matters now
This is the first official international ruling placing responsibility directly on Russia for the downing of MH17. It adds new weight to long-standing calls for justice and reparations, and increases pressure on the Kremlin to respond.
