UN’s top aviation agency officially holds Russia responsible for downing of MH17 over Ukraine

The Council of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), a specialized agency of the United Nations, has officially found Russia responsible for the downing of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 over Russian-occupied territory eastern Ukraine in July 2014, which killed all 298 people on board.

Most of the victims were Dutch citizens. Others killed were 38 Australians, 10 British nationals, and several citizens of Belgium and Malaysia.

The ICAO ruling is in response to a case filed by the Netherlands and Australia against Russia in March 2022.

On May 12, the ICAO Council concluded that Russia violated the Convention on International Civil Aviation, also known as the Chicago Convention, as reported by the Dutch Foreign Affairs Ministry.

As a UN specialized agency, the ICAO and its council is the organization’s main decision-making body on global aviation matters.

“A large majority of the Council members voted in favour of the Netherlands’ and Australia’s position,” the ministry said.

The next step is for the ICAO to formally call on Russia to to engage in negotiations with the Netherlands and Australia regarding compensation, a to support a process that ensures those talks are held in good faith, following specific timelines, and produce tangible results. 

“The latter is important in order to ensure that the negotiations are conducted in good faith and according to specific timelines, and that they will yield actual results,” the ministry said.

Ukraine’s Ambassador to Canada and representative to ICAO, Yuliya Kovaliv, welcomed the decision, telling European Pravda that it moves the world closer to holding Russia accountable.

“Civil aviation is a sensitive issue for Russia, and we will continue working to ensure that violators of the Chicago Convention — like Russia and Iran — face justice,” Kovaliv said.

In the summer of 2024, Russia unilaterally announced it would no longer participate in the proceedings at ICAO.

The Ukrainian World Congress (UWC) also welcomed the decision, expressing hope that it sends a strong signal to the international community about the urgent need to hold Russia accountable for violating international aviation norms.

The UWC and the global Ukrainian community stand in solidarity with the families and friends of the MH17 victims, honouring their memory and seeking justice.