Particle.news
Download on the App Store
27 ARTICLES
·
last wk.

UN Aviation Council Rules Russia Responsible for MH17 Downing

The ICAO's landmark decision establishes Russia's accountability under international aviation law and opens the path for reparations talks with Australia and the Netherlands.

Image
(FILES) Rescuers stand on July 18, 2014 on the site of the crash of a Malaysian airliner carrying 298 people from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur, near the town of Shaktarsk, in rebel-held east Ukraine. The United Nations aviation agency said on May 12, 2025 that Russia was responsible for the downing of a Malaysian Airways jetliner over Ukraine in 2014, with the death of 298 people. The International Civil Aviation Organization, based in Montreal, said claims brought by Australia and the Netherlands over the shooting down of Flight MH17 on July 17, 2014 were "well founded in fact and in law." (Photo by DOMINIQUE FAGET / AFP) (Photo by DOMINIQUE FAGET/AFP via Getty Images)
Image

Overview

  • The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) has ruled that Russia violated international air law in the 2014 downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 over eastern Ukraine.
  • Flight MH17, en route from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur, was struck by a Russian-made Buk missile, killing all 298 passengers and crew, including 196 Dutch and 38 Australian citizens.
  • The ICAO Council will now deliberate on the form of reparations, with Australia and the Netherlands urging Russia to engage in negotiations for compensation.
  • Russia continues to deny involvement in the incident, despite international investigations and a 2022 Dutch court ruling convicting three individuals in absentia for their roles in the attack.
  • This marks the first time the ICAO has resolved a dispute between member states, reinforcing the principle that civilian aircraft must not be targeted in conflict zones.