Moscow summoned the Dutch ambassador on October 3 to complain about a criminal investigation last week that concluded that a missile brought in from Russia shot down a passenger jet flying over eastern Ukraine, according to Radio Liberty.
Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 was blown out of the sky on July 17, 2014, killing all 298 on board as it was flying from Amsterdam to Malaysia, the investigation found, RFE/RL reported.
Criminal investigators from the Netherlands, Australia, Belgium, Malaysia, and Ukraine said they had ”irrefutable evidence” that a Buk missile hit the plane and was fired from a part of eastern Ukraine then controlled by pro-Russian rebels.
Russia reacted angrily to the allegations and sought to shift the blame onto Ukraine for not closing its airspace during intense fighting – prompting Dutch Foreign Minister Bert Koenders to summon Russia`s ambassador last week to complain about Moscow`s ”unacceptable” comments.
In a tit-for-tat move, the Russian Foreign Ministry on October 3 said it explained to Dutch ambassador Renee Jones-Bos why the findings ”could not be recognized as satisfactory by Russia.”
The Dutch Foreign Ministry responded by calling again for Russia`s cooperation in bringing those responsible for firing the missile to justice.
