Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has raised the issue of the 2014 downing of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 with Russian President Vladimir Putin, as international scrutiny intensifies following a UN aviation body’s ruling that holds Moscow responsible for the tragedy.
Speaking on the sidelines of his three-day state visit to Moscow, Anwar said President Putin expressed his condolences and reiterated Russia’s position that any investigation into the incident must be impartial and free from political bias.
“From the outset, Russia asked for an independent and thorough investigation,” Anwar said in a statement released by his office on Thursday. “Putin denied that Russia was unwilling to cooperate, but said Moscow could not work with anybody it deems to lack independence.”
Malaysia remains “resolute in ensuring accountability and a just resolution for the victims and their families,” he said.
The Boeing 777 aircraft, flying from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur, was shot down on 17 July 2014 over eastern Ukraine at an altitude of 33,000 feet. All 298 people on board were killed, including 196 Dutch citizens, 43 Malaysians, and 38 Australians.
The region was at the time a conflict zone between Ukrainian forces and pro-Russian separatists. Investigators later concluded that the aircraft was hit by a Russian-made BUK surface-to-air missile fired from territory controlled by the separatists.
A ruling by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) last week found that Russia had violated international air law and failed to uphold its obligations regarding civil aviation safety. The organisation’s council said the claims made by Australia and the Netherlands were “well-founded in fact and law”.
Moscow rejected the ICAO’s findings, calling them politically motivated and biased.
In 2022, a Dutch court convicted two Russian nationals and a Ukrainian man in absentia for their role in the attack. All were sentenced to life imprisonment. Russia refused to extradite the individuals and called the court’s decision “scandalous”.
Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong welcomed the ICAO ruling, calling on Russia to “face up to its responsibility for this horrific act of violence” and to make reparations. Dutch Foreign Minister Caspar Veldkamp said the decision was “an important step towards truth and accountability” and sent a clear message that “states cannot violate international law with impunity”.
During Anwar’s Moscow visit, trade, education, energy, agriculture, and aerospace cooperation were also discussed. However, the MH17 issue remained central to the bilateral talks, drawing both domestic and international attention.
On Wednesday, Irfan, the son of the Malaysian pilot killed in the crash, made an emotional appeal for justice. Speaking to Malaysian media outlet The Star, he described the incident as a “senseless act of violence” and criticised the lack of progress in holding those responsible to account.
“MH17 was not just a plane; it was our national carrier, carrying our people under our flag,” he said. “More than a decade has passed, yet we remain without justice.”
Irfan, who followed in his father’s footsteps into aviation, said families of the victims have been neglected and treated as an afterthought. “We, the next of kin, have been treated as if we are just a footnote in a long-forgotten chapter,” he said.
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