Australia and The Netherlands hold Russia ‘liable’ for downing of Flight MH17

On July 17, 2014, Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 left Amsterdam for Kuala Lumpur with 298 passengers and crew on board. Approximately 50km (30miles) from the Ukraine-Russian border, air traffic control lost all contact with the jet. Shortly afterwards it crashed in the rebel-held Donetsk area in Ukraine killing all on board, including 193 Dutch nationals, 43 people from Malaysia, and 27 from Australia. Other victims came from countries including Indonesia, the UK, Belgium, Germany and the Philippines.

Russia has consistently and vehemently denied any involvement on the incident, even blaming it on a ‘rogue’ Ukrainian military pilot, Capt. Vladyslav Voloshyn, who is understood to have committed suicide in March this year. Russia also denied other allegations that the Malaysia Airlines jet had been shot down by a Russian Buk surface-to-air missile, claiming that it must have been a Ukrainian military Buk missile.

However, last Thursday, Dutch investigators leading the investigation into the crash concluded that the plane was struck by a Buk missile which exploded close to the plane’s nose, puncturing the hull. They confirm that the missile was supplied by the Russia’ 53rd anti-aircraft rocket brigade in Kursk. It had previously been presumed by Ukrainian and US intelligence sources that the Buk system had been sent into rebel territory by Russia, then moved out again.

The decision was announced in a statement from the Dutch government and by Australia’s foreign minister Julie Bishop.
Dutch Foreign Minister Stef Blok commented: “On the basis of the [joint international team’s] conclusions, the Netherlands and Australia are now convinced that Russia is responsible for the deployment of the Buk installation that was used to down MH17,” adding: “The government is now taking the next step by formally holding Russia accountable.”
“We call on Russia to accept its responsibility and cooperate fully with the process to establish the truth and achieve justice for the victims of flight MH17 and their next of kin,” Mr Blok also said.