EU urges Russia to admit responsibility for downing MH17 plane on its 10th anniversary

Josep Borrell, top EU official for foreign affairs and policy, has published a statement on behalf of the EU dedicated to the 10th anniversary of the downing of a Malaysian Boeing of the MH17 flight by Russia. In the statement the EU once again urged Russia to admit its responsibility for this tragedy and fully cooperate in the administration of justice.

"The European Union emphasises that the evidence presented by the Joint Investigation Team in the proceedings before the Dutch District Court, and submitted to the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) and the Council of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), makes it abundantly clear that the BUK surface-to-air missile system used to bring down Flight MH17 belonged beyond doubt to the armed forces of the Russian Federation,"  the statement published by the press service of the European Council reads.

The EU noted that no Russian disinformation operation can distract from these basic facts established by a court of law.

"The European Union reiterates its full support for all efforts to establish truth, justice and accountability, in accordance with UN Security Council Resolution 2166," the statement says.

The EU added that it took note of the proceedings initiated by the Netherlands against the Russian Federation at the ECHR, as well as the proceedings initiated by Australia and the Netherlands before the ICAO Council, which are important steps towards achieving truth, justice and accountability.

Earlier it was reported that during the first few days after the MH17 disaster the Netherlands consciously decided not to condemn Russia publicly, even though there was significant proof of Russia’s involvement in downing the plane.

The officials admitted that after downing the Malaysian MH17 Boeing the Netherlands considered a real possibility of a military intervention into the zone of the disaster.  

On 17 November 2022 the Hague District Court sentenced Igor Girkin, Sergei Dubinskiy and Leonid Kharchenko to life in prison in absentia for their role in downing the Malaysian MH17 liner above the Donbas region in Ukraine and ordered to facilitate their arrest. The court ruled that they had to pay the families of the people killed in the crash over €16 million in compensation.