Netherlands Marks 10th Anniversary of MH17 Airline Downing

The Netherlands commemorated the 298 victims of flight MH17, which was shot down over Ukraine 10 years ago, with a ceremony attended by the bereaved and representatives from Malaysia, Australia, Britain, Belgium, and Ukraine.

Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17, traveling from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur, was shot down over eastern Ukraine on July 17, 2014, amid conflict between pro-Russian separatists and Ukrainian forces. This incident foreshadowed Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

All 283 passengers and 15 crew members aboard, including 196 Dutch citizens, were killed, leaving the wreckage and remains scattered across fields of corn and sunflowers.

An international investigation concluded that the plane was downed by a Russian missile system, and a Dutch court in 2022 stated that Moscow had “overall control” of the separatist forces in eastern Ukraine from May 2014. Russia denies any involvement.

The commemoration took place at the MH17 monument in Vijfhuizen near Amsterdam, where loved ones read aloud the names of all the victims.

Former Prime Minister Mark Rutte, who was in office during the disaster and has been a staunch critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin, received applause for his efforts to keep international attention on the incident.

The Dutch court convicted two former Russian intelligence agents and a Ukrainian separatist leader in absentia of murder for their role in transporting the Russian military BUK missile system used to down the plane.

“Justice requires a long, long breath,” said newly appointed Prime Minister Dick Schoof, adding that “a conviction is not the same as having someone behind bars.”

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, in his nightly video message, commemorated the victims, stating, “There is no doubt that the judicial process and the overall work of international justice will inevitably lead to entirely fair sentences for all responsible for this crime.”

Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba wrote on X that Russia had killed the victims twice: “First with a missile. Second, with lies that abused their memory and hurt their relatives.”

Despite Russia’s denial of responsibility for MH17’s downing and its initial denial of presence in Ukraine, the EU’s outgoing foreign policy chief Josep Borrell called on Russia to accept its responsibility.

“The evidence presented makes it abundantly clear that the BUK surface-to-air missile system used to bring down Flight MH17 belonged beyond doubt to the armed forces of the Russian Federation,” Borrell said. “No Russian disinformation operation can distract from these basic facts, established by a court of law.”