U.N. Agency Rules Russia Responsible for Downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH-17

May 13 (UPI) -- The U.N.'s International Civil Aviation Organization determined that Russia was accountable for shooting down a Malaysian Airlines passenger plane over eastern Ukraine in 2014, resulting in the deaths of all 298 individuals aboard.

The ICAO Council determined that Russia did not fulfill its responsibilities as per international aviation regulations following the shoot-down of Flight MH-17. The council sided with the Netherlands and Australia—countries that suffered citizen casualties in this incident—after these nations filed charges against Moscow, according to an announcement from ICAO. a news release Monday.

The council concurred that the assertions made by both nations were "solidly grounded in reality and legal standing," noting that Russia’s purported actions in shooting down the Boeing 777 with a surface-to-air missile violated the Convention on International Civil Aviation. This convention requires states “to avoid employing weaponry against civilian aircraft while they are airborne.”

The ICAO stated that this determination was made following an examination of submitted documents and testimonies during various gatherings of the organization’s 36 member countries within its governing council. They also mentioned that a detailed report outlining the evidence and legal arguments supporting their decision will be published at an upcoming session.

The Australian Foreign Minister, Penny Wong, a post on X , welcomed the win in what she said was Australia and the Netherlands' "historic case" against Russia, saying it was a significant step in their fight for justice.

"We remain unwavering in our commitment to the pursuit of truth, justice and accountability for the victims and their loved ones," she wrote.

Dutch Foreign Minister Caspar Veldkamp said the ruling was a strong signal to countries around the world that "states cannot violate international law with impunity."

In a joint statement, the two countries said Russia must now take responsbility and "make reparations for its egregious conduct" as required under international law.

"Our condolences go out to the 298 individuals whose lives were taken as a result of Russia’s actions, including the 38 Australians among them, along with their families and beloved ones," the statement read.

"While we cannot take away the grief of those left behind, we will continue to stand with them in that grief and pursue justice for this horrific act."

MH-17 was en route from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur when it was shot down over Ukraine's Donbas region, where Russian-backed separatists were fighting Ukrainian forces for control.

Britons, Belgians and Malaysians were also killed in the disaster but the majority, 196, were from the Netherlands.

In November 2022, a Dutch court hearing the cases of two Russians and one Ukrainian separatist who were not present, ruled against them, finding all three guilty. guilty of murder and sentenced them to life in prison.

However, Russians Igor Girkin and Sergey Dubinskiy, and Ukrainian Leonid Kharchenko, who were fighting for the pro-Moscow Donetsk People's Republic separatist movement at the time, remain free as the Netherlands was unable to extradite them.

A joint investigation team comprising specialists from five countries affected by the disaster—Australia, Belgium, the Netherlands, Ukraine, and the United States—subsequently concluded after an eight-year inquiry that there was "concrete evidence" suggesting Russian President Vladimir Putin was probably responsible. approved the transfer of the BUK missile that brought down MH-17.

However, the team said that while they had evidence of Putin's role in signing off on the transfer of the missile to separatists, it fell short of the prosecutorial standard of "complete and conclusive evidence."