Zerkal disappointed by Russia's attitude to MH17 tragedy

There is new evidence in the case on the downing of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 in Donbas, but Russia neglects it.

"I'm disappointed by Russia's attitude to the MH17 tragedy. There is more and more evidence. All parties to the Joint Investigation Team supported the findings of the investigation that have currently been presented. The investigation is coming to an end, and we are convinced that indictments will be issued soon. Justice with respect to some individuals is important, just like the case itself. MH17 is a tragic page in the history of terrorist financing. This whole story must be fully considered on the merits," Ukraine's Deputy Foreign Minister Olena Zerkal said.

According to her, she is shocked by the fact that an agent of the Russian Federation commented on the internal affairs of another state - Ukraine, while addressing the World Court.

"On Monday, Russia accused us of a 'violent coup.' Yesterday, it tried to use the results of our elections against us. But let me dispel the doubts. I am here on the instructions of the president of Ukraine, with a clear mandate to protect Ukraine's interests and restore justice for its people," Zerkal said.

She noted that Ukraine had appealed to the ICJ as the last institution. "Everything we ask is to consider Ukraine's case on the merits," the Ukrainian agent said.

She called on the ICJ to confirm the existence of jurisdiction in Ukraine's lawsuit against Russia.

"Russia tried to distort the subject of the dispute, twisting the legal norms and denying the facts. However, Ukraine's requirements are clear. The dispute is obvious. Our conscientious efforts to resolve the dispute are also obvious, just like the jurisdiction of the court," Zerkal said.

On June 3-7, the International Court of Justice in The Hague holds public hearings on Russia's preliminary objections in Ukraine v. Russia case regarding the application and interpretation of the International Convention for the Suppression of the Financing of Terrorism and the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination.

Censor.NET has been reporting about the investigation of the crash investigation progress and published exclusive photos of the hangar and the submunitions of Russian missile Buk-M1-2, featured in the criminal investigation. Prosecutor's Offices of the Netherlands and Australia have prepared convincing evidence. It was established that submunitions that hit the Boeing exactly match those from the warhead of the latest Russian anti-aircraft missile Buk-M1-2. The system was developed in 1997, put into service of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation in 1998, and was never delivered to Ukraine. In addition, independent experts from Germany, England and Poland studied the fragments of the debris and concluded they were part of a Russian Buk missile. Modern chemical analysis has identified the composition of the metal and found parts of the glass and skin of the same downed Boeing that had been cut by these elements prior to hitting the people.

In November 2015, President Poroshenko visited the Netherlands and said that Ukraine was employing its membership in the U.N. Security Council for investigation of the MH17 tragedy.

In May 2016, Australian law firm LHD filed a lawsuit against Russia and Russian President Vladimir Putin to the European Court for Human Rights on behalf of relatives of those killed in the Malaysian Boeing MH17. The lawsuit names Putin as accused defendant and demands $10 million for each killed passenger.

On May 24, 2018, Joint Investigation Team said it managed to ascertain that the BUK system used to bring down MH17 was in service with the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation. Namely, it belonged to the 53rd anti-aircraft missile brigade based in the city of Kursk, the Russian Federation.