KUALA LUMPUR – Russia was responsible for the fatal downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur in 2014 over eastern Ukraine, the Council of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) has ruled.
The decision, announced earlier, marked a major step in the decade-long push for justice by the Dutch and Australian governments, which jointly brought the case before the ICAO in 2022. The foreign ministers from both nations mentioned the decision in their respective statements and welcomed it.
The flight was carrying 298 people. Victims included 193 Dutch citizens, 43 Malaysians, 27 Australians, 12 Indonesians, 10 Britons, four Germans, four Belgians, three Filipinos, one Canadian and one New Zealander.
The flight was shot down on July 17, 2014, amid fighting between Russian-backed separatists and Ukrainian forces.
The United Nations aviation council found that Russia had breached international law by violating the prohibition on the use of weapons against civil aircraft in flight. The ICAO is now expected to deliberate on what form of reparations should follow, Reuters reported.
“The decision is an important step towards establishing the truth and achieving justice and accountability for all victims of Flight MH17, and their families and loved ones,” Dutch Foreign Minister Caspar Veldkamp said in a statement.
“This decision also sends a clear message to the international community: states cannot violate international law with impunity.”
Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong welcomed the ruling, calling it a “historic moment in the pursuit of truth, justice and accountability.”
“We call upon Russia to finally face up to its responsibility for this horrific act of violence and make reparations for its egregious conduct, as required under international law,” Wong said.
She added, “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.”
According to reports, Dutch courts had earlier convicted two Russian nationals and a Ukrainian in absentia for their roles in the attack, though Moscow denounced the verdict as “scandalous” and refused to extradite the accused.
Though ICAO lacks enforcement powers, its decisions carry weight among its 193 member states and help set international aviation norms.
Both the Netherlands and Australian governments have called for it to act swiftly on reparations. No statement has been issued by Malaysia Airlines yet. – May 13, 2025