MH17: Russia formally accused of downing airliner that killed 298 people

The remains of the Boeing 777 that was downed in Ukraine

Australia and the Netherlands have formally accused Russia of being responsible for downing the MH17 passenger jet in 2014.

All 298 people on board the plane, which was en route from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur, died when it broke apart during flight over eastern Ukraine.

On Thursday, Dutch-led international investigators concluded that the missile belonged to a Russian brigade.

It was fired from rebel-held territory in Ukraine.

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Russia has denied any involvement in the plane’s destruction.

The decision of both the Netherlands and Australia was announced in a statement from the Dutch cabinet.

“On the basis of the [joint international team’s] conclusions, the Netherlands and Australia are now convinced that Russia is responsible for the deployment of the Buk installation that was used to down MH17,” Dutch foreign minister Stef Blok said.

“The government is now taking the next step by formally holding Russia accountable.”