The Netherlands and Australia have officially accused Russia of the crash of the MH17 plane in 2014 as it is reported on the website of the Netherlands' government, 112.ua reports.
According to the statement, both states made a decision on this issue and reported Russia about it.
“The government has always said that the truth surrounding the MH17 disaster had to be brought to light and that justice must be achieved for the victims and their next of kin. The Netherlands has the support of the international community in this respect. On the basis of the JIT’s conclusions, the Netherlands and Australia are now convinced that Russia is responsible for the deployment of the Buk installation that was used to down MH17. The government is now taking the next step by formally holding Russia accountable”, - Stef Blok, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands said.
It is noted that the bringing of Russia to the responsibility is a complex legal process and a few ways for this exist for today.
“The Netherlands and Australia today asked Russia to enter into talks aimed at finding a solution that would do justice to the tremendous suffering and damage caused by the downing of MH17. A possible next step is to present the case to an international court or organization for their judgment", - the message said.
Both countries urged Russia to assume responsibility and cooperate in the investigation.
As previously reported, the Malaysian Boeing was shot down over the Donbass in 2014 by the Buk anti-aircraft missile system from the 53rd Air Defence Brigade of the Russian Armed Forces, which is based in the Russian city of Kursk. The head of the criminal department of the National Police of the Netherlands stated that the investigation group came to the conclusion that it is this Buk air defence system that coincides, by the distinguishing features, with the one that shot down the Malaysian Boeing.
As is known, Boeing 777 of Malaysian Airlines, flight MH17 was on its way from Amsterdam to Kuala-Lumpur, when it crashed in the militant-held area of Donetsk oblast in July 2014. The aircraft carried 298 people; no one survived. Experts found out that the passenger plane was shot down by a missile, fired from Buk, the Russia-made anti-aircraft missile launcher. The weapon was brought to Donbass from the territory of Russia. In another report, Bellingcat published a photo of Buk 332 made in the fleet of equipment of the 53rd brigade in Marshala Zhukova village near Kursk, probably in the spring of 2013. Russia urges not to trust the investigation of the Bellingcat group.