Since 2014, many have questioned why Ukraine allowed civilian planes to continue flying over the zone of combat operations, the Foreign Ministry spokeswoman stressed
The Dutch parliament has released a report on the completion of an additional inquiry into the airspace closure above and around eastern Ukraine in relation to the downing of Flight MH17. Ukrinform.
By David Kaminski-Morrow2021-02-08T15:04:00+00:00
Independent analysis has found no evidence that Ukrainian authorities were aware of the threat to high-altitude traffic, and specifically civil aviation, before a Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777-200ER was shot down by a surface-to-air missile.
This is despite Ukrainian national security officials’ openly floating the possibility that high-powered weapons might have entered into the conflict in the east of the country before the 777 was attacked.
The US-based Flight Safety Foundation has examined the case of flight MH17, which had been crossing the conflict zone of eastern Ukraine on 17 July 2014, just above a 32,000ft boundary of restricted airspace.
An independent report has concluded that neither Ukrainian nor Russian aviation regulators were aware of any potential threats to civil airspace in the lead up to the shootdown of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 over eastern Ukraine in July 2014.
Malaysia Airlines MH17 Boeing 777 was shot down over Donbas on July 17, 2014 / REUTERS
Ukraine was not aware that civil aviation was in danger when Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 MH17 was shot down over Donbas in July 2014.
There is therefore insufficient evidence to hold Ukraine legally responsible for not completely closing the airspace, according to an independent investigation conducted by the Flight Safety Foundation, NU.nl wrote.
Read alsoReuters: MH17 judges reject request to investigate alternative crash scenariosDutch Foreign Minister Stef Blok said the Flight Safety Foundation report states that insufficient facts have been established to indicate that the Ukrainian authorities at the time responsible for civil aviation safety over eastern Ukraine were aware of a threat to civil aviation above Ukraine, except that part of the airspace that was already closed.