The US Supreme Court refused to consider the appeal of the Russian Sberbank against a lower court ruling. This decision opens the path for the relatives of one of the passengers of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17, shot down over Donbas in 2014 by Russian fighters, to seek compensation from the bank, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty reports.
In 2025, the International Civil Aviation Organization officially recognized Russia as responsible for the MH17 downing, in which 298 people were killed, making it one of the largest aviation incidents in history. The plane was shot down with Russia's Buk surface-to-air missile system.
The lawsuit was filed by the family of Quinn Shansman, an 18-year-old passenger on the flight. His relatives accused Sberbank of using the US banking system to transfer funds to the pro-Russian group “DNR”, an illegal entity in Ukraine's Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts, occupied since 2014, which downed the plane using Russian weapons.
Legal precedent for terrorism financing
The US court’s decision sets an important legal precedent.
“Russian commercial entities can be held accountable in US courts for harm caused by Russia and the terrorist organizations it controls,” said Andrii Yermak, the head of the Ukrainian Presidential Office.
If the lawsuit is successful, it will send a powerful signal to all entities that directly or indirectly finance Russian aggression.
“Together with our partners, we continue to ensure that everyone involved in Russia’s crimes is held accountable under the law,” Yermak added.
The passenger's relatives argue that Sberbank can be held liable for financing terrorism.
The Russian bank claimed that, as a state entity, it had sovereign immunity, but the US Second Circuit Court of Appeals in Manhattan ruled against the bank in February 2025. The Supreme Court’s refusal to hear the appeal now allows the case to proceed on its merits.
Russia continues to deny any involvement in the crash and has provided no alternative account.