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

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

The Kyiv IndependentElsa Court