UN Aviation Body Rules Russia Responsible for MH17 Crash

For the first time, the UN aviation body has officially accused Moscow of violating international law, Orda.kz reports, citing Reuters.

The Council of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) at the UN has found Russia responsible for the downing of Malaysian Boeing flight MH17.

The flight was shot down on July 17, 2014, in the skies over eastern Ukraine. This was reported by the governments of the Netherlands and Australia, which initiated the investigation in ICAO back in 2022.

The tragedy killed all 298 people on board, including 196 Dutch citizens and 38 Australian citizens or residents. ICAO ruled that Russia had violated the Chicago Convention, which prohibits the use of weapons against civil aircraft. In the coming weeks, the council will consider how Moscow should compensate.

Dutch Foreign Minister Caspar Veldkamp called the decision "an important step towards justice" and stressed that it was a signal to the international community: no state can violate international law with impunity.

Earlier, the court in The Hague had already sentenced three defendants in the case in absentia to life imprisonment, including former DPR Defense Minister Igor Girkin. Moscow refused to recognize the charges, calling them "politically motivated."

Boeing 777 flight MH17 was shot down by a 9M38 series anti-aircraft missile fired from a Buk system delivered from Russia.

An international investigation established that the missile belonged to the 53rd anti-aircraft missile brigade of the Russian Armed Forces and was launched from territory controlled by pro-Russian forces. Moscow continues to deny its involvement and puts forward alternative versions of the tragedy.

Original Author: Ruslan Loginov