Netherlands and Australia to sue Russia for MH17 crash

AUSTRALIA and the Netherlands have said they hold Russia legally responsible for the downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 over Ukraine in 2014 and will seek reparations for relatives of the 298 people killed.

Julie Bishop, the Australian foreign minister, said Russia was “directly involved in the bringing down” of MH17 and would be held accountable under international law.

“Australia and the Netherlands have requested Russia to enter into negotiations, to open up a dialogue about its conduct and to seek reparations,” she said on Australia’s ABC News.

A statement from the government of the Netherlands, which lost 154 citizens in the tragedy, said a possible next step would be taking the case against Russia to an international court or organisation.

Stef Blok, the Dutch foreign minister, called on Russia to “accept its responsibility and cooperate fully with the process to establish the truth and achieve justice for the victims of flight MH17”.

The accusations raise the possibility of another stand-off with Russia, which has been hit with fresh US sanctions and the expulsion of its diplomats from Western countries over the Salisbury poisoning, as it gears up to host the World Cup next month.

They come the day after the Dutchled international investigation concluded that the Russian military had deployed the Buk surface-to-air missile that shot down the plane, suggesting that it would seek to eventually bring a legal case against those responsible.

Mr Blok said the attempts by Australia and the Netherlands to bring Russia to account under international law would be separate from any made by the ongoing investigation.

Relying largely on photos and videos published to social media, the investigation team established a visual “fingerprint” of the missile launcher in question and traced its route from the base of Russia’s 53rd anti-aircraft brigade to the Ukraine border. It was photographed in war-torn eastern Ukraine the day MH17 was shot down.

The team previously established that a Buk missile fired from an area in eastern Ukraine controlled by Russiabacked separatists destroyed the plane.

Boris Johnson yesterday said in a statement: “The Kremlin believes it can act with impunity. The Russian government must now answer for its actions in relation to the downing of MH17.” He added: “This is an egregious example of the Kremlin’s disregard for innocent life. Ten Britons were killed in the incident.”