Flight MH17 shot down by Russian-made missile

A Dutch court is reading its verdict in the trial of three Russians and a Ukrainian over the downing of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 above Ukraine in 2014 that left 298 passengers and crew dead, Qazet.az reports.

The four suspects – Russians Igor Girkin, Sergei Dubinsky, Oleg Pulatov and Ukrainian separatist Leonid Kharchenko – were not in court to hear the verdict as they refused to attend the trial.

All 298 people on board were killed when the Boeing 777 flying from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur on 17 July 2014 was shot out of the sky over separatist-held eastern Ukraine.

An international investigation found that the plane was hit by a missile supplied by Moscow fired from a village that was held at the time by pro-Russian rebels. Moscow has repeatedly denied any responsibility for the incident.

Reading the verdict, head judge Hendrik Steenhuis said the court has determined that MH17 was shot down by a Russian-made BUK missile from an agricultural field in eastern Ukraine.