UN agency rules Russia shot down MH17 

Russia was responsible for the downing of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 over eastern Ukraine in July 2014, the United Nations aviation council has ruled

MH17 TIMELINE
1 Jul 17, 2014, 10:31GMT 
MH17 takes off from Amsterdam bound for Kuala Lumpur

2 13:20GMT: Last contact. Plane crashes, killing all 298 people on board

Jul 18: Then U.S. President Barack Obama says airliner was brought down by missile fired from part of Ukraine controlled by pro-Russia rebels

Oct 2015: Dutch Safety Board concludes MH17 was downed by  Russian-made Buk missile
Buk (SA-11) surface-to-air missile

Nov 2022: Dutch court rules Russian-controlled group downed plane. Two Russians and one Ukrainian separatist convicted of murder in absentia

May 12, 2025: UN’s Council of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) finds Russia responsible for shooting down MH17

ICAO expected to consider possible reparations, including compensation for victims’ families. Kremlin denies any  involvement in air disaster


RUSSIA 
1 2 
Flight path
UKRAINE
NETHERLANDS
300km
200 miles 

Area of rebel activity on crash date

UKRAINE
LUHANSK REGION
DONETSK REGION
Luhansk
Last recorded position of MH17 
Hrabove: Main debris site
Donetsk
Snizhne
RUSSIA
Missile launch site

20km 12 miles

Trio sentenced to life in prison – (l to r) Igor Girkin, Sergey Dubinskiy and  Ukrainian Leonid Kharchenko – have  served no jail time as they have not been extradited


Sources: BBC, Reuters
Pictures: Getty Images © GRAPHIC NEWS