Russia Rejects ICAO Accusations Over MH17 Crash, Cites Biased Investigation

Russian President Vladimir Putin commented on the crash of the Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777-200, flight MH17, which went down in 2014. According to Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, the Russian leader expressed condolences to the families of the victims of the air disaster.

Putin reaffirmed a firm intention to cooperate in the investigation, the Malaysian PM said.

"I can confirm that Putin denied claims that he is unwilling to cooperate. However, he does not consider it possible to cooperate with any body that he or Russia do not regard as independent," the prime minister noted.

Ibrahim also promised to convey Putin’s message to the families of the victims.

On July 17, 2014, a Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777-200 flying from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur crashed above the Donbas. All 298 people on board were killed.

 Russia named responsible for the crash

The Council of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) claims that Russia is responsible for the tragedy. The Dutch cabinet emphasized that the issue of compensation will be considered in the near future.

“The actions of the Russian Federation violated international civil aviation regulations and led to the deaths of 298 people aboard flight MH17. The Council will also consider the issue of compensation and expects Russia to enter negotiations with the Netherlands and Australia,” the statement reads.

Russia responds to accusations

Russian presidential spokesperson Dmitry Peskov stated that Russia does not accept ICAO’s accusations regarding the crash of the Boeing aircraft. Moreover, he emphasized, Russia did not even participate in the investigation, and therefore considers the conclusions biased.

“Our position is well known. You know that Russia was not a country involved in the investigation of this incident. Therefore, we do not accept any biased conclusions," Peskov said.

The Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs also described ICAO’s conclusions as dubious. The ministry stated that the council’s investigation was based on information and materials provided by Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU).

According to the Russian Foreign Ministry, the conclusions rely on testimony from anonymous witnesses whose identities are classified.

Furthermore, the ministry claimed that reports from the Netherlands and Australia about the use of satellite imagery as evidence are false.