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RUSSIA has formally lodged an appeal with the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague to overturn a decision by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) that held Moscow responsible for the downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 over eastern Ukraine in 2014.
In a statement released by its Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Russia denounced the ICAO ruling as “factually and legally unfounded”, arguing that it contravenes the 1944 Chicago Convention governing international civil aviation.
“The Convention does not apply in situations of armed conflict,” Moscow asserted, adding that investigators had ignored key information submitted by Russian authorities during the multinational inquiry.
The rare decision by ICAO — the first of its kind — concluded that Russia bore responsibility for the disaster, which claimed 298 lives, including 43 Malaysian nationals. The ruling followed an investigation led by Dutch authorities, which found that a Russian-made Buk missile system fired from separatist-held territory in Donetsk was responsible for shooting down the Boeing 777.
Australia and the Netherlands, whose citizens comprised a significant portion of the victims, initiated legal proceedings against Russia at the ICAO in 2022, seeking accountability and compensation for the victims’ families.
Russia’s appeal to the ICJ, it stressed, does not constitute recognition of ICAO’s findings. “We hope the Court will take a truly impartial and independent stance in this high-profile case,” the statement added. - September 20, 2025
