On the occasion of the 6th anniversary of the downing of flight MH17, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine expressed its condolences to the victims’ families and promised to do everything possible to get justice back with the help of the courts. This was stated by the Foreign Ministry.

“Today, on the day of the tragic anniversary of downing of the Malaysia Airlines MH17 aircraft over Ukraine, our thoughts and condolences are with the relatives and friends of the victims. We remember everyone who died, and we will do everything possible to establish justice in the case of downing of the MH17 aircraft and the punishment of those who are guilty of this horrible crime,” the diplomats emphasised.

At the same time, the US Embassy in Ukraine appealed to Russia in a statement to cooperate with the investigation to bring to justice those responsible for downing of the aircraft.

“We appeal to Russia to respect and follow UN Security Council Resolution 2166, which demands the perpetrators to be brought to justice, as well as to the full cooperation of all countries. Russia must ensure that each of the accused, who are currently in Russia or in territories controlled by Russia, is brought to justice,” said Christine Quinn, the US Chargé d’Affaires in Ukraine.

She also appealed to Russia to adhere to the cessation of hostilities, withdraw its army and heavy weapons, support the disbandment of armed forces operating in the Donbas, and regain control of Ukraine’s internationally recognized border with the Russian Federation.

The United Kingdom also reacted to the event, emphasizing the need for Russia’s full cooperation in investigating the downing of the Malaysian Boeing MH17 aircraft over Donbas in 2014.

British Minister of Foreign Affairs Dominique Raab recalled that six years ago, 10 British citizens lost their lives when the aircraft was downed and 298 people died tragically.

“We support the ongoing trial in the Netherlands to provide justice for the victims and their close relatives, and we appeal to Russia to cooperate as much as possible,” the official said.

At the same time, on the occasion of the sixth anniversary of the crash, the European Union expressed support for all efforts to establish the truth about the circumstances of the tragedy and appealed to the Russian Federation to admit its responsibility.

It should be noted that the day before the European Court of Human Rights registered the lawsuit filed by the Netherlands against Russia because of the downing of the passenger MH17 aircraft.

According to the press service of the Court, the application number is 28525/20.

“According to the Dutch government, the aircraft was downed by an anti-aircraft missile system ‘Buk,’ which belonged to and was provided by the Russian Federation. The Dutch Government alleges that the Russian Government was responsible for the deaths in violation of Articles 2 (right to life), 3 (prohibition of torture and inhuman or degrading behaviour) and 13 (right to an effective remedy) of the European Convention on Human Rights,” they stated.

Bohdan Marusyak

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