Russia appeals UN aviation ruling holding it responsible for MH17 downing
Russia has filed an appeal with the International Court of Justice against a decision by the UN’s aviation body that held Moscow responsible for the 2014 downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 over eastern Ukraine, Russia's Foreign Ministry said on Sept. 19.
In a statement, the Russian Foreign Ministry said the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Council's May 12 ruling was "unfounded" and based on what it called "dubious results" of investigations led by the Netherlands and Ukraine.
The ministry accused the ICAO of accepting "falsified facts" and failing to conduct a full, impartial inquiry into the disaster.
Moscow said it is contesting the decision "in all respects" — including jurisdiction, applicable law, facts, and alleged "fatal procedural violations."
"Russia will seek the truth in accordance with its obligations under the UN Charter and applicable norms of international law," the statement reads.
The Boeing 777 was shot down on July 17, 2014, over territory held by Russian proxy forces in Ukraine's Donetsk Oblast. All 298 people and 15 crew members on board were killed.
Investigators concluded the aircraft was struck by a Buk missile system supplied by Russia and fired from territory controlled by Russia.
In 2022 the District Court of The Hague sentenced in absentia two Russian nationals and one Ukrainian national to life imprisonment for their involvement in the downing of flight MH17. Russia has denied involvement and rejected the verdict.
On July 9, the European Court of Human Rights also found Russia responsible for the downing, in a broader case addressing alleged human rights abuses committed by Moscow since 2014. The Strasbourg-based court cited "widespread and flagrant" violations, including torture, forced labor, and restrictions on civil rights during Russia's war against Ukraine.
