European Court Confirms Russia's Involvement in Downed Malaysian Plane and Demands Compensation

The European Court of Human Rights ruled that Russia "failed to protect the lives of passengers on the Malaysian plane (MH17)", opening the door to international demands for compensation for the victims of the 2014 disaster. The judgment came after years of investigations that proved the involvement of pro-Russian separatists in the downing of the plane over Ukraine.

The court, based in Strasbourg, issued its ruling on Wednesday, confirming that the Russian authorities did not take sufficient measures to verify the target before launching the missile that brought down the Boeing 777 plane, which was on its journey from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur. The incident resulted in the deaths of all 298 passengers, including 196 Dutch, 38 Australians, and four Germans.

In response to the ruling, Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong called on Russia to "take responsibility and pay compensation for this heinous act". Wong said in a statement posted on the (X) platform: "We welcome the court's judgment holding Russia accountable for the downing of the plane, a historic moment for the 298 victims and their loved ones".

Meanwhile, Moscow continues to deny its involvement in the incident, despite judicial evidence indicating the missile was launched from areas controlled by Russia-backed separatists in Donetsk, eastern Ukraine.

It is worth mentioning that the incident, which occurred on July 17, 2014, remains one of the most controversial events in the Ukrainian conflict, as families of the victims have been demanding justice and full disclosure of all details for years.