Kremlin Dismisses U.N. Ruling on MH17 Tragedy

The Kremlin has rejected the U.N. aviation council's ruling that Russia was responsible for the 2014 downing of Malaysian Airlines Flight MH17 over Ukraine. Russia's Foreign Ministry also deemed the decision illegitimate, blaming Ukraine for the incident. The attack involved pro-Russian separatists amid conflict in the Donbas region.

The Kremlin rejected as biased a ruling by the U.N. aviation council regarding the 2014 downing of a Malaysian airliner over Ukraine, which resulted in 298 fatalities. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov reiterated Russia's stance, stating Russia was not involved in the investigation.

The Russian Foreign Ministry also refused to recognize the council's decision, labeling it illegitimate. The ministry accused the Ukrainian government of being primarily responsible for the incident, which occurred during its conflict with Russian-backed separatists in the Donbas region.

Flight MH17, en route from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur, was downed amidst intense fighting. In 2022, Dutch judges convicted three men, including two Russians and one Ukrainian, of murder in absentia. Moscow refused extradition, criticizing the ruling as scandalous.

(With inputs from agencies.)