After the disappearance of Flight 370 on 8th March 2014, this was the second Jolt , Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 (MH17) was shot down on 17 July 2014 while flying over Estern Ukraine killing all 283 passengers and 15 crew members.
On the basis of the Dutch Safety Board led Joint Investigation team - JIT's conclusions, the governments of the Netherlands and Australia held Russia responsible for the deployment of the Buk installation and were pursuing legal routes since then.
Dutch Safety Board's (DSB) final report on 13 October 2015 concluded that the crash was caused by a Buk 9M38-series surface-to-air missile.
The impact killed the three people in the cockpit and caused structural damage to the aircraft leading to an in-flight break-up resulting in a wreckage area of 50 square kilometres and loss of the lives of all 298 occupants.
However, Russian government denied the involvement in the shooting down of the Boeing 777-2H6ER airplane and holds the Ukrainian government at fault for allowing civilian flights in a war zone.
On it's 7th anniversary, Marise Payne , Australian Minister for Foreign Affairs released a Joint statement along with counterparts of four other nations, those were part of the JIT in solidarity with the families and loved ones of the occupants perished in the accident.
We, the Foreign Ministers of Australia, Belgium, Malaysia, the Netherlands, and Ukraine, whose countries comprise the Joint Investigation Team, today mark the seventh anniversary of the downing of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17, resulting in the tragic deaths of 298 passengers and crew members. Our thoughts remain with those who perished on board, their families and loved ones.
While nothing can bring back those who lost their lives, or diminish the anguish and grief suffered by the family members, it is imperative that we remain steadfast in our commitment to pursuing truth, justice and accountability.
We acknowledge the cooperation of our respective investigative agencies and reiterate our full support for their efforts to establish the truth of what happened. We also have full confidence in the independent, open and impartial criminal proceedings against the alleged perpetrators.
We reiterate our deepest sympathies and condolences to the families and loved ones of the victims of the downing of Flight MH17.
Flight 17 was operated with a Boeing 777-2H6ER, Manufacturer serial number 28411, registration 9M-MRD. The 84th Boeing 777 produced, first flew on 17 July 1997, exactly 17 years before the incident, and was delivered new to Malaysia Airlines on 29 July 1997.
