Russia appeals UN court ruling over MH17 downing, challenging ICAO findings
Wreckage of the downed Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777 in the Donetsk region (Illustrative photo: Getty Images)
Russia has appealed to the United Nations International Court of Justice (ICJ) against the decision of the Council of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) regarding its involvement in the downing of flight MH17 in July 2014, according to the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
In its statement, the ministry once again accused ICAO and Western countries of bias and of ignoring Russia’s arguments in the case concerning the air disaster.
The Russian MFA noted that the ICAO Council’s decision has been challenged by Russia on all grounds - jurisdictional basis, applicable law, factual findings, as well as due to serious procedural violations.
The ministry also clarified that the appeal in no way constitutes legitimization or recognition by Russia of any acts of the ICAO Council in this matter. This statement comes in the context of Russia’s withdrawal from the dispute in 2024.
MH17 disaster
On July 17, 2014, a Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777 operating flight MH17 from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur crashed over the Donetsk region, killing all 298 people on board.
International investigators determined that the aircraft was shot down by a missile fired from a Buk-M1 surface-to-air system deployed by Russian forces near the city of Shakhtarsk.
In 2022, a court found several Russian military personnel and members of the terrorist organization “Donetsk People's Republic,” including terrorist Igor Strelkov-Girkin, guilty of downing the airliner.
In July 2025, the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) held Russia responsible for numerous human rights violations during the war and for the MH17 incident.
However, Russia cynically stated that it has no intention of complying with the ECHR ruling.
