Kremlin rejects UN ruling holding Russia responsible for downing of Malaysian airliner

The Kremlin on Tuesday addressed the United Nations aviation council's ruling regarding the 2014 downing of Malaysian Airlines Flight MH17 over eastern Ukraine, expressing concerns about the investigation's impartiality and reiterating its position on the matter.

The Kremlin has responded to the United Nations aviation council's ruling that attributed responsibility for the 2014 downing of Malaysian Airlines Flight MH17 over eastern Ukraine, which resulted in the loss of 298 lives. Russia expressed concerns about the impartiality of the investigation, emphasizing that it was not involved in the inquiry and does not accept the conclusions drawn.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov reaffirmed Russia’s position, stating, “Russia was not a country that took part in the investigation of this incident, so we do not accept any conclusions we consider biased.”

The tragic event occurred on July 17, 2014, when Malaysian Airlines Flight MH17, traveling from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur, was struck by a missile while flying over eastern Ukraine, amid ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine. The victims included 196 Dutch citizens and 38 Australian nationals or residents.

In a ruling in 2022, Dutch courts convicted two Russian nationals and one Ukrainian individual in absentia for their involvement in the incident. Russian authorities have expressed their disagreement with the verdict, indicating that they would not extradite the individuals named in the conviction.

Russia continues to maintain that it was not involved in the downing of the aircraft and has questioned the motivations behind the investigation, while ongoing international discussions seek to address the incident's complexities.

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