Skip to content
Edit post

Russia's accountability for MH17 tragedy 'inevitable,' says Zelensky

by The Kyiv Independent news desk July 17, 2024 9:51 PM 2 min read
Lawyers attend the judges' inspection of the reconstruction of the MH17 wreckage in Reijen, Netherlands, on May 26, 2021. (Piroschka van de Wouw - Pool/Getty Images)
This audio is created with AI assistance

President Volodomyr Zelensky has marked the 10-year anniversary of the downing of flight MH17 by saying Russia's accountability for the tragedy is "inevitable."

"It’s been 10 years since Russian murderers shot down the MH17 passenger plane in the skies over Ukraine," he said in a post on social media.

"The whole world witnessed then who came to wage war against Ukraine and that Russian evil is a threat not only to us but to all."

Flight MH17 departed from Amsterdam Schiphol Airport en-route to Kuala Lumpur International Airport July 17, 2014.

Three hours into the flight, the Boeing-777 was shot down by Russian proxy forces using a Buk surface-to-air missile above Ukraine’s Donetsk Oblast.

All  283 passengers and 15 crew members on board, among them 196 Dutch citizens, were killed.

Two Russian nationals, Igor Girkin and Sergey Dubinsky, and Ukrainian Leonid Kharchenko, were found guilty of shooting down MH17 at a Hague District Court in November 2022.

Russia never claimed responsibility for the disaster, instead fanning conspiracy theories to shift the blame elsewhere.

It has also refused to cooperate with the international investigation investigating the downing, and none of those deemed responsible have ever been brought to justice.

Also speaking on July 17, Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof said "a conviction is not the same as having someone behind bars."

"Justice requires a long, long breath," he added.

The downing of MH17, and Russia’s responsibility
Two plaques are displayed in the entrance hall of the Dutch Embassy in Kyiv. One commemorates the opening of the building, while the other is simply inscribed with the words “MH17 - July 17, 2014.” At 12:31 on July 17, 2014, flight MH17 departed from Amsterdam Schipol Airport, set

News Feed

10:48 AM

UK, Norway discuss Arctic defense pact over Russian threat.

"With Russia continuing to militarise the High North and Arctic, this new agreement will boost security for the U.K., Norway, and our NATO allies, bolstering defenses on NATO’s northern flank," the British government said in a statement.
10:27 AM

Trump-Putin meeting depends on progress on ending war, Rubio says.

"The only way is to test them (Russia), to basically engage them and say, okay, are you serious about ending the war, and if so, what are your demands. Are your public demands and your private demands different?" U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said. "It may turn out that they don’t want to end the war."
9:51 AM

Ukraine launching faster drone supply model for military.

According to the new model, military units will be able to choose the unmanned systems best suited to their needs. The system also aims to support manufacturers through advance orders, allowing them to plan for scaling up their production.
MORE NEWS

Editors' Picks

Enter your email to subscribe
Please, enter correct email address
Subscribe
* indicates required
* indicates required
Subscribe
* indicates required
* indicates required
Subscribe
* indicates required
Subscribe
* indicates required
Subscribe
* indicates required

Subscribe

* indicates required
Subscribe
* indicates required
Subscribe
* indicates required
Explaining Ukraine with Kate Tsurkan
* indicates required
Successfuly subscribed
Thank you for signing up for this newsletter. We’ve sent you a confirmation email.