MOSCOW, July 17. /TASS/. Russia’s position in the case of the Boeing-777 that crashed in 2014 remains unchanged, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.

"None of the Russian side’s arguments were taken into account, we did not participate in the investigation," the Kremlin spokesman pointed out in a conversation with journalists. "Therefore, our attitude to these conclusions is well known," he stated.

Peskov refused to comment on Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong saying that Russia was responsible for the Boeing 777 crash: "In this case, we do not consider it necessary to comment on these statements."

Crash case

In June, Russia stopped participating in the ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organization) Council's dispute with Australia and the Netherlands over the Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777 MH17 crash case. The Russian Foreign Ministry emphasized that, "unlike the biased majority in the council, Russia remains committed to the UN Security Council resolution 2166 (2014) and the establishment of the true causes of the crash of flight MH17, and is open to work along these lines." In the ICAO Council, "the Westerners and their satellites can deal with each other," while Russia will cease its participation "in this farce," the ministry added. It noted that "Russia does not recognize the council's authority to consider the Australian and Dutch fake allegations, as well as any decisions it will make in relation to them."

According to the Russian Foreign Ministry, Australia and the Netherlands initiated proceedings against Russia in the ICAO in 2014, claiming that Russia had allegedly violated the article of the 1944 Convention on International Civil Aviation (the Chicago Convention) obliging it to refrain from using weapons against civil aircraft in flight. Despite Russia's objections, in March 2023, the board recognized its competence to hear the dispute, thereby assuming the functions of a criminal court or investigative body that are not proper to it and not provided for by Article 84 of the Chicago Convention. Russia does not agree with this decision, it did not recognize and still does not recognize the competence of the Council in this case, the ministry added.

Despite this, Russia continued to participate in the proceedings because it assumed that the ICAO venue could be used for professional dialogue on the plane crash, the ministry said.

It emphasized that for more than two years, Russia has presented a convincing and extensive evidence base of legal and factual nature to the ICAO. It testifies to the country's non-involvement in the disaster. Russia has brought this evidence to the attention of all member countries of the council.