Moscow on mat

Answers sought on MH17

AUSTRALIA has formally demanded answers from Moscow over its role in shooting down Malaysia Airlines flight 17, which killed 298 people almost four years ago.

Investigators on the hunt for those responsible for downing the plane over Ukraine on July 17, 2014, said overnight they were convinced the Russian military played a pivotal role in providing the deadly missile.

The Federal Government has joined with the Netherlands to notify the Russian Federation that both nations hold it responsible for its role in the downing.

Foreign Minister Julie Bishop said in a statement: “The only conclusion we can reasonably now draw is that Russia was directly involved in the downing of MH17.”

“We have requested negotiations to open dialogue around the circumstances leading to the tragic loss of innocent lives.”

Ms Bishop said Russia must be “held to account for its conduct”, which killed 38 Australians.

She said holding the Russian Federation responsible under international law was a separate, but “complementary to the prosecution of the individual suspects”, which is taking place under the Dutch national system.

Earlier Ms Bishop told the ABC the Federal Government “owed it to the victims of the downing of MH17 and their families” to hold to account those responsible.

The Australian Government announced in the May Budget it would put $50 million over four years towards the prosecution costs of bringing those responsible to justice.

Relations between Canberra and the Kremlin have been frosty since the tragedy, with Russia launching retaliatory trade embargoes of its own one week after the West announced tougher sanctions.

In March, two Russian diplomats were expelled as part of global action against Moscow over an alleged nerve agent attack on a former Russian spy living in the UK.