Relatives of the 298 people killed in the 2014 downing of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 have urged world leaders to make Russian acknowledgment of responsibility a prerequisite for any Ukraine peace agreement.
Flight MH17 was shot down on 17 July 2014, over eastern Ukraine, specifically in the area near the village of Hrabove, in separatist-held territory of Donetsk Oblast. The aircraft, a Boeing 777-200ER, was traveling from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur when it was hit by a missile.
At the time, pro-Russian separatists backed by Russia had been fighting against Ukrainian government forces in the eastern oblasts of Donetsk and Luhansk of Ukraine.
In letters sent to US President Donald Trump and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, the families emphasized that a durable peace settlement cannot be achieved without Russia taking accountability for the disaster, according to Europeiska Pravda media outlet.
“Without this, there cannot be a reliable peace with Russia,” the relatives stated in their correspondence.
Real justice for MH17 is Ukraine’s victory
The families have consistently called for Russia to recognize its role, issue an apology, and conduct a transparent investigation into all parties involved in the incident. These demands have received ongoing support from the Dutch government, and the relatives now insist these requirements should be integrated into any peace negotiations.
The letters were also forwarded to Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof, relevant parliamentary committees, and EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas.
The crash was caused by a Russian-made Buk missile, with President Putin personally authorizing its transfer to separatists. The missile exploded just above and to the left of the cockpit. This explosion led to the immediate death of the cockpit crew and the subsequent breakup of the aircraft in mid-air.
The investigation of the incident was conducted by the Joint Investigation Team (JIT), comprising officials from the Netherlands, Malaysia, Australia, Belgium, and Ukraine.
On 17 November 2022, the Hague District Court found Russian citizens Igor Girkin-Strelkov and Sergei Dubinsky, along with Ukrainian citizen Leonid Kharchenko, guilty of involvement in downing the aircraft.
All three received life sentences in absentia and were ordered to pay over 16 million euros in compensation to victims’ families.
The court also formally recognized that Russia had maintained control over the self-proclaimed “DNR” since at least May 2014, despite Moscow’s continued denial of any involvement in the incident.
Russia has refused to extradite those convicted, but on the disaster’s 10th anniversary, Dutch Prime Minister Schoof pledged to “fight to ensure they are imprisoned.”
The passengers were mostly Dutch, but other also came from Australia, Malaysia, Indonesia, the United Kingdom, Belgium, Germany, the Philippines, Canada, New Zealand, Vietnam, Israel, Italy, Romania, the United States and South Africa.
A decade after the downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 over Ukraine, a study by Dutch Professor Jos de Keijser revealed that one in eight bereaved families continue to endure severe grief. These individuals frequently suffer from insomnia, concentration issues, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder. Professor de Keijser highlights that while therapy aids some, others find recovery more challenging.
On 25 December 2024, Russian Pantsir-S air defense system missile also hit the Azerbaijan Airlines plane, en route from Baku to Grozny, which crashed in Kazakhstan.
The Embraer E190AR had 67 people on board of whom 38 died and 29 people, including two children, were hospitalized.