Ten Years Since MH17 Tragedy that Claimed 298 Lives: Russia Killed Victims Twice – with Missile and Lies

Relatives of the victims of the downing of MH17 by Russia are marking 10 years of the tragedy that claimed 298 lives, AP reports. However, Russia is still abusing the grief of the relatives of those killed in the MH17 plane crash, refusing to acknowledge the truth, take responsibility and apologise. That is, Russia killed the victims of the flight twice - with a missile and a lie, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said in an interview with the South China Morning Post, Ukrinform reports.

The head of Ukrainian diplomacy called such behaviour inhuman and accused Russia of outright, systematic and shameless lies.

‘I regret to say this, but Russia has killed the innocent victims of MH17 twice. The first time - with its missile. The second time - with its lies. That is why it is difficult for me to understand the pain that the relatives of the victims experienced on those summer days 10 years ago and now,’ he said, stressing that from the very beginning, Russian military aggression was aimed not only at Ukraine and Ukrainians, but was a global threat.

Relatives of passengers killed in the downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 over Ukraine gathered with officials at the Australian Parliament building on Wednesday to mark the 10th anniversary of the tragedy that claimed 298 lives.

Later on Wednesday, a commemoration is also planned in the Netherlands at a monument near Schiphol Airport, where MH17 took off from on its way to the Malaysian city of Kuala Lumpur.

The border region of Ukraine controlled by pro-Russian rebels, from where the fatal Soviet-era surface-to-air missile was launched and the fields where most of the wreckage fell after the crash, are now occupied by the Russian army.

Russia has repeatedly denied responsibility for the downing of MH17 and has refused to extradite two Russians and a Ukrainian convicted in absentia by a Dutch court in 2022 for murder.

At the European Court of Human Rights, the Netherlands, as well as Australia and the Netherlands jointly through the Council of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), continue to pursue Russia under international law for its alleged role in the downing of MH17.

Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong told the service on Wednesday that she was ‘appalled’ that Russia withdrew from the ICAO's review in June.

‘The case will continue, and we will not stop in our commitment to hold Russia to account,’ Wong told a meeting attended by foreign diplomats.

‘We will not let this go until we bring Russia to justice,’ said Australian Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus.

The Netherlands was home to 196 victims. In addition to Australia, victims also came from Malaysia, Indonesia, the United Kingdom, Belgium, Germany, the Philippines, Canada, New Zealand, Vietnam, Israel, Italy, Romania, the United States and South Africa.

An international investigation initiated at the UN Security Council by the Netherlands, Malaysia and Australia concluded that the Buk missile system that shot down MH17 belonged to the Russian 53rd Air Defence Missile Brigade. The investigation concluded that the missile was launched into Ukraine from a Russian military base near the city of Kursk and returned there after the plane was shot down.