Russia responsible for downing of MH17, UN body rules

Russia was liable for the downing of the Malaysia Airlines flight, MH17, implicit eastbound Ukraine successful July 2014, the United Nations aviation bureau has ruled.

All 298 radical connected committee the rider level were killed erstwhile it was changeable down by a Russian-made missile.

The Kremlin has ever denied immoderate work for the aerial disaster.

On Monday, the UN's Council of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) voted that the Russian Federation failed to uphold its obligations nether planetary aerial law, which requires states to "refrain from resorting to the usage of weapons against civilian craft successful flight".

Malaysia Airlines formation MH17 was travelling from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur erstwhile it was struck down implicit the Donbas portion of Ukraine, during a struggle betwixt pro-Russian rebels and Ukrainian forces.

The bulk of passengers and crew, 196 people, were from the Netherlands.

There were besides 38 radical from Australia, 10 British citizens, arsenic good arsenic Belgian and Malaysian nationals connected board.

The lawsuit to the UN was brought successful 2022 by the Australian and Dutch governments, who person some welcomed the ICAO's ruling.

"We telephone upon Russia to yet look up to its work for this horrific enactment of unit and marque reparations for its egregious conduct", said Australia's overseas curate Penny Wong successful a statement.

The Dutch overseas minister, Caspar Veldkamp, said it marked an "important measurement towards establishing the information and achieving justness and accountability".

It sends a wide messaged to the planetary community, helium added: "states cannot interruption planetary instrumentality with impunity" .

In 2022, a Dutch tribunal ruled that a Russian-controlled radical had downed the level and two Russians and a pro-Moscow Ukrainian nationalist were convicted of execution successful absentia.

The trio were each sentenced to beingness successful situation however, arsenic they were not extradited, they person not served clip successful jail.