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Ukraine’s Zelensky hails ‘important’ MH17 court ruling

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky praised an “important” court ruling Thursday, after a Dutch court sentenced two Russians and a Ukrainian to life imprisonment in absentia over the downing of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 over Ukraine in 2014.

“An important court decision in The Hague. The first sentences for the perpetrators of the downing of MH17,” Zelensky wrote on Twitter.

Russians Igor Girkin and Sergei Dubinsky, as well as Ukrainian Leonid Kharchenko were found guilty of murder and intentionally causing an aircraft to crash. Judged in absentia, the men are unlikely to serve time.

“Holding the instigators to account is crucial too because a sense of impunity leads to new crimes,” Zelensky added.

“Punishment for all of the Russian federation’s atrocities then and now is now inevitable.”

Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said he “welcomed” the verdict.

Police and judicial authorities of the Netherlands, Australia, Malaysia and Belgium worked together with Ukraine throughout the investigation, and Kuleba praised their “profound joint efforts”.

“Today’s verdicts send a message to Russia: no amount of lies can help escape justice. All criminals up the Russian chain of command shall be held accountable,” he wrote.

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