Malaysia Airlines Flight 17

This article documents a recent aviation disaster. Information may change rapidly as the event progresses. (July 2014)

Malaysia Airlines Flight 17
9M-MRD, the aircraft involved in the incident, atRome Fiumicino Airport in October 2011
Incident summary
Date 17 July 2014
Summary Presumably shot down by aBuk surface-to-air missile;[1][2][3][4] exact cause is still under investigation[5]
Site Near Hrabove, Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine

48°8′17″N 38°38′20″E Coordinates:

48°8′17″N 38°38′20″E
Passengers 283
Crew 15
Fatalities 298 (all)
Survivors 0
Aircraft type Boeing 777-200ER
Operator Malaysia Airlines
Registration 9M-MRD
Flight origin Amsterdam Airport Schiphol
Destination Kuala Lumpur International Airport

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2014 pro-Russian unrest in Ukraine

Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 (MH17/MAS17)[a] was a scheduled international passenger flight from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur that crashed on 17 July 2014.[7] The plane is believed to have been shot down with a Buk surface-to-air missile.[8] The Boeing 777-200ER airliner went down near Hrabove in Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine, about 40 km (25 mi) from the Ukraine–Russia border,[9] killing all 283 passengers and 15 crew on board.[10][11][12] The crash occurred in the conflict zone of the ongoing Donbass insurgency, in an area controlled by the Donbass People's Militia.

The two sides in Ukraine's ongoing civil conflict (the Ukrainian government and the pro-Russian separatists) accused each other of shooting down the plane with a missile.[13][14] A Ukrainian Interior Ministry official, Anton Gerashchenko, said a Buk missile hit the aircraft at an altitude of 10,000 m (33,000 ft).[11] On 19 July, Vitaly Nayda, the chief of the Counter Intelligence Department of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), told a news conference: "We have compelling evidence that this terrorist act was committed with the help of the Russian Federation. We know clearly that the crew of this system were Russian citizens."[9][15][16][17] He cited unverified wiretaps in which separatists expressed satisfaction to Russian intelligence agents that they brought down an aeroplane.[18] The separatists denied that the recorded talks were related to the crash of MH17 and blamed the Ukrainian government for shooting down the plane.[13][14][19]

US President Barack Obama, citing US intelligence officials, said the plane was shot down by a missile and that there was "credible evidence" it was fired

With 298 deaths, the crash of MH17 is the deadliest-ever air incident in Ukraine, Boeing 777 hull loss,[22] and airliner shootdown.[23] It is the third-deadliest incident of aviation-related sabotage, behind Air India Flight 182and the September 11 attacks.[24] The crash was Malaysia Airlines' deadliest incident, and its second of the year, after the disappearance of Flight 370 on 8 March en route to Beijing from Kuala Lumpur.

Contents [hide]
1 Aircraft
2 Passengers and crew
3 Background
4 Crash
5 Aftermath
6 Investigation
6.1 Cause
6.2 Recovery of casualties
7 Reactions
7.1 Countries
7.2 Organizations
7.3 Memorials
8 Media coverage
9 See also
10 Notes
11 References
12 External links

Aircraft

Flight 17 was operated with a Boeing 777-2H6ER,[b] serial number 28411, registration 9M-MRD.[25] The 84th Boeing 777 produced, it first flew on 17 July 1997, exactly 17 years before the incident, and was delivered new to Malaysia Airlines on 29 July 1997.[26]Employing two Rolls-Royce Trent 892 engines and configured to carry 282 passengers (35 business and 248 economy), the aircraft had logged more than 43,000 hours of flight time, including 6,950 cycles, before the crash.[26][27]

The Boeing 777 entered commercial service on 7 June 1995; as of June 2014, there were approximately 1,200 aircraft in service with some 340 unfilled orders.[28] Aviation experts say the model has one of the best safety records in commercial aircraft. Only four other 777s have suffered a hull loss: British Airways Flight 38 in January 2008; a cockpit fire in a parked EgyptAir 777-200 at Cairo International Airport in 2011; and Asiana Airlines Flight 214 in July 2013, in which three people died. Malaysia Airlines 777, Flight 370(registration 9M-MRO), went missing on 8 March 2014 and was still being searched for at the time of Flight 17's crash.

Passengers and crew
People on board by nationality[29][30]NationNumber
(boarding
passport)Dual
nationality

Australia [31][c][d] 27 1[e]

Belgium 4 1[f]

Canada [g][35] 1 0

Germany 4 0

Indonesia 12 0

Ireland [h] 0 1

Israel [i][36] 0 1

Italy [j][37] 0 1

Malaysia [k][l] 43 0

Netherlands [m] 193 0

New Zealand 1 1[n]

Philippines 3 0

Romania [o][38] 0 1

South Africa [p] 0 1

United Kingdom [q][r] 10 0

United States [s] 0 1

Vietnam [t][39] 0 3
Total 298

All 283 passengers and 15 Malaysian crew died.[40][41][42] About two-thirds of the passengers were from the Netherlands. Authorities initially said there were 295 people on board, having not accounted for three infants.[43][44] By 19 July, the airline had officially determined the nationalities of all 298 passengers and crew.[29] The nationalities are noted in the table to the right. The nationalities declared on boarding the flight and released by the airline are noted in the second column. The third column reports the further nationality of passengers, reported in the second column, who had dual citizenship.

Among the passengers were delegates en route to the 20th International AIDS Conference in Melbourne, including Joep Lange, a former president of the International AIDS Society, which organized the conference.[45][46][47] Also on board were Dutch senator Willem Witteveen,[48] Australian author Liam Davison,[49] and Malaysian actress Shuba Jay.[50]

Twenty entire families were on board the aircraft.[51]
Background

On 3 March 2014, Korean Air and Asiana Airlines "stopped flying over Ukraine airspace ... because of security concerns."[52] Later, in April the International Civil Aviation Organization warned governments that there was "the possible existence of serious risks to the safety of international civil flights" over Ukraine. The US Federal Aviation Administration issued restrictions on flights over Crimea just south of MH17's route, and advised airlines flying over the rest of Ukraine to "exercise extreme caution due to the continuing potential for instability."[53][54] Aeroflot, Lufthansa, Singapore Airlines and others would continue overflying eastern Ukraine until after MH17 was shot down.[55]

Several Ukrainian military aircraft have also been downed. On 14 June a Ukrainian Air Force Ilyushin Il-76 aircraft was shot down on approach to Luhansk International Airport, all 49 people on board died. After that incident, on 29 June, Russian news agencies reported that separatists had access to a Buk missile system after taking control of a Ukrainian air defence base A-1402[56][57][58] (possibly the former location of the 156th Anti-Aircraft Rocket Regiment (156 zrp), Ukrainian Air Force). On the same day, the Donetsk People's Republic claimed possession of such a system[57] in a since-deleted tweet.[59] On 14 July a Ukrainian military An-26 transport aircraft flying at 21,000 feet (6,400 m) was shot down, allegedly using a Buk missile system.[60][61] US officials later said evidence suggested the aircraft had been fired on from inside Russian territory.[62] On 16 July another Ukrainian military aircraft, a Sukhoi Su-25 close air support aircraft, was shot down, and Ukrainian government officials accused the Russian military of downing the aircraft with an air-to-air missile fired by a MiG-29 jet in Russia, while a spokesman for Russia's Defence Ministry rejected those accusations as absurd.[63][64][65]

On 1 July Ukrainian officials advised pilots not to fly below 26,000 feet (7,900 m) over eastern Ukraine.[66] On 14 July Ukrainian officials increased that limit to 32,000 feet (9,800 m) over eastern Ukraine.[66]

On 15 July, following his visit to Kiev, Polish Minister of Foreign Affairs Radosław Sikorski warned about the dangers posed by the continued Russian military support for pro-Russian separatists, especially ground-to-air missiles. "These are mobile rockets whose sale is governed by international rules and they are forbidden from being supplied to non-state groups, because that creates the possibility of the proliferation of these kinds of weapons, which creates a danger to civil aviation around the world," he said.[67] On 17 July Russia closed more than a dozen airways at various altitudes.[68] On the same day an unnamed Associated Press journalist saw a Buk launcher in Snizhne, a town in the Donetsk Oblast, approximately 16 kilometres (10 miles) southeast of the crash site. The reporter also saw seven separatist tanks at a filling station near the town.[69] Also, on 17 July, an unconfirmed phone call between Sergei Nikolaevich Petrovskiy (officer of Main Intelligence Directorate of the Russian Federation, Deputy Chief of Igor Girkin) and a militant took place where they discussed where to unload and place a Buk missile system.[63]
Crash

Flight 17 departed from Amsterdam Airport Schiphol Gate G03 at 12:14 CEST (10:14 UTC).[70] The aircraft was due to arrive at Kuala Lumpur International Airport 11 hours and 45 minutes later at 06:00, 18 JulyMYT (22:00, 17 July UTC).

According to Malaysia Airlines, MH17 filed an IFR flight plan requesting to fly at a cruising altitude of 35,000 feet (11,000 m), but "upon entering Ukrainian airspace, MH17 was instructed by Ukrainian air traffic control to fly at 33,000 feet".[71] The aircraft entered Ukrainian airspace climbing through 32,000 feet, and climbed to 33,000 feet during its transition across the Kiev flight information region. [72] This was most likely the result of the aircraft undergoing a step climb, with the aircraft not being able to ascend to its filed cruising altitude of FL350 until later on in the flight when it had burned off sufficient fuel; MH17 was not instructed to descend to FL330 from FL350 as initial media reports suggested.

According to the International Air Transport Association, the aircraft was in unrestricted airspace when it lost contact.[73][74]

Malaysia Airlines released a statement saying "it received notification from Ukrainian ATC that it had lost contact with flight MH17 at 1415 (GMT)[u] at 30 km (19 mi) from [the] TAMAK waypoint (47°51′24″N 39°13′6″E [75]), approximately 50 km (31 mi) from the Russia–Ukraine border" (TAMAK Waypoint is on the Russia–Ukraine border [76]) and that "According to information provided by Kiev Air Traffic Control, the location of the plane’s emergency locator beacon is 48 degrees 7 minutes and 23 seconds North; and 38 degrees 31 minutes and 33 seconds East."[77]

The plane crashed near the village of Hrabove just north of Torez, a city in eastern Ukraine's Donetsk Oblast, as it was approaching the Russian border.[9] The moment at which a fireball rose due to the impact was supposedly captured on a video clip.[78]

Flightradar24 reported that a Singapore Airlines Boeing 777-200ER (Flight SQ351) and an Air India Boeing 787-8 (Flight AI113) were each about 25 km (16 mi) away from the Malaysian airliner when it disappeared.[79]

Photographs from the site of the crash show scattered pieces of broken fuselage and engine parts, as well as bodies and passports.[80] Some of the wreckage fell close to houses in Hrabove.[81] Dozens of bodies fell into crop fields, some into houses.[82]

On the evening of 17 July, the lifenews.ru portal released the following statement "On July 17 near the village of Rassypnoye over the Torez city in Donetsk region an An-26 transport plane of Ukrainian Air Force was taken down, said the militia. According to them, the plane crashed somewhere near the "Progress" mine, away from residential areas. According to one of the militias, at approximately 17:30 local time an An-26 flew over the city. It was hit by a rocket, there was an explosion and the plane went to the ground, leaving a black smoke. Debris fell from the sky".[83] ITAR-TASS and RIA Novosti had also reported that an An-26 had been shot down by the militia near Torez at around 16:00 local time.[84][85]

US measurement and signature intelligence satellites of the Space-Based Infrared Systems Directorate and the Defense Support Program registered the heat signature of the launch of the missile, the activation of the missile's radar system while in flight to the target (which emits a unique signal), and the infrared signature of the strike when the missile hit flight MH17.[86] Analysis of the launch plume and trajectory suggested the missile was fired from an area between Torez and Snizhne.[62]

The Infrared Space Systems Directorate, part of the United States intelligence agency theNational Reconnaissance Office, is reported to be the source President Obama used to substantiate his claim regarding the origin of the missile[87]
Aftermath

Off-duty coal miners, along with local police and rescue crews, combed through debris searching for bodies.[88]

As a result of the incident, Ukraine closed all routes in the Eastern Ukraine airspace, at all altitudes.[89] The airspace above Donetsk Oblast had been previously closed by Ukraine on 1 July 2014 below 26,000 feet (7,900 m), and on 14 July 2014 below 32,000 feet (9,800 m).[90] Eurocontrol issued a statement in which it explained that at the time of the crash the MH17 was at Flight Level 330 (33,000 feet or 10,060 metres), so the aircraft was above restricted airspace.[89] A few airlines, such as Qantas, Korean Air Lines, and British Airways, had already been avoiding the area for several months because of security concerns.[52][90] Airlines including Aeroflot, Transaero, Air France, Turkish Airlines, Virgin Atlantic, Lufthansa, and S7 Airlines announced their intention to make flights bypass Ukraine airspace.[91] The routes in Russian air space, where MH17 would have continued had it not crashed, were closed by Russian air control up to 32,000 feet (9,800 m) just a few hours before the crash (but remained open in higher altitudes).[92]

Shortly after the crash, it was announced that Malaysia Airlines would retire flight number MH17 and change the Amsterdam–Kuala Lumpur route to flight number MH19 from 25 July 2014.[93][94]

On 18 July 2014, shares in Malaysia Airlines had dropped by nearly 16%.[95]

There have been reports that credit and debit cards may have been looted from the bodies of the victims, and the Dutch Banking Association reported that it would take "preventative measures" against possible fraud.[96] There are also accounts of corpses and their possessions being removed and evidence at the crash site being destroyed.[97][98]
Investigation
External audio

Pro-Russian rebels discuss the shooting down of an aircraft Intercepted phone calls, not independently verified, between rebels discussing which rebel group shot down the aircraft and initial reports it was a civilian aircraft. Audio (in Russian) released bySecurity Service of Ukraine with English subtitles.

On the day of the crash, a meeting was convened of the Trilateral Contact Group (consisting of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), the Ukrainian national government, and Russia). After they had held a video conference with representatives of insurgents affiliated with the Donetsk People's Republic (who control the area where the plane crashed), the rebels promised to "provide safe access and security guarantees" to "the national investigation commission" by co-operating with Ukrainian authorities and OSCE monitors.[100] During the first two days of investigation, the militants prevented the OSCE and other international observers from freely working at the crash site. According to the Ukrainian government, the separatists are destroying all evidence of the crime "with the help of Russia", including moving 38 bodies to Donetsk.[101] Andre Purgin, a leader of the Donetsk People's Republic, declared later that "we will guarantee the safety of international experts on the scene as soon as Kiev concludes a ceasefire agreement".[102]

A Ukrainian-led international investigation will examine why the plane crashed. The United Kingdom is sending six investigators from the Air Accidents Investigation Branch to assist.[103] The UK Foreign Office has sent extra consular staff to Ukraine and the Metropolitan Police is liaising with international partners to send specialist officers to the country to assist with the recovery, identification and repatriation of those who died.[103] Australia has sent a 45-member probe panel headed by former Air Chief Marshal Angus Houston, who had earlier supervised the MH 370 probe.[104] A senior US administration official said to ABC News that FBI and NTSB officials are poised to head to Ukraine to advise the investigation.[105]

On 18 July, it was reported that the flight recorder had been recovered by separatists.[106] On the same day, the head of Donetsk Regional State Administration, Kostiantyn Batozky, stated that the two black boxes had been found.[107] Rebels said later that two boxes were moved to Donetsk.[108] According to a phone conversation intercepted by Ukrainian intelligence, the militants were given the task of keeping all evidence, including black boxes, away from anyone else.[109]

On 21 July, Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak said that he had been told by Alexander Borodai, leader of the Donetsk People's Republic, that the black boxes would be handed over to Malaysian authorities.[110]
Cause

Both US and Ukrainian officials propose a surface-to-air missile as the most likely cause of the crash.[111] If this is true, it was most likely fired from a mobile Russian-designed Buk missile system, also known as an SA-11 "Gadfly" missile,[112][113] as these are the only surface-to-air missile systems in the area capable of reaching the altitude of commercial air traffic.[114]
Recovery of casualties

A Ukraine Foreign Ministry representative said that the bodies found at the crash site will be taken to Kharkiv for identification, a city 270 kilometres (170 mi) to the north. 247 out of 298 bodies had been found as of 20 July.[115]

On 19 July 2014, Andriy Lysenko, the spokesman of the National Security and Defence Council of Ukraine said that the insurgents removed 38 bodies from the crash site to extract from the bodies exploded parts of the rocket used to shoot the plane and destroy the evidence.[116]

Al Jazeera reported that the separatist Minister of Health had initially confirmed 38 bodies had been moved to the Donetsk morgue, which the minister subsequently recanted.[117] Bodies were observed being moved, placed inhuman remains pouches, and loaded on to lorries.[118][119][120]

Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte announced his shock about the lack of respect shown to the personal belongings which were reportedly looted. He also initially announced his disgust about the handling of the bodies of the casualties that were reportedly being "dragged around" and "thrown". But he later stated the bodies were handled with more care than originally estimated.[121][122] On 20 July 2014, Ukrainian emergency workers, observed by armed separatists, began loading the remains of the passengers of MH17 into refrigerated railway wagons for transport and identification.[123]

On 21 July, pro-Russian rebels allowed Dutch investigators to examine the bodies. By this time, 272 bodies had been recovered.[124] Remains left Torez on a train on the evening of 21 July, en route for Kharkiv to be flown to the Netherlands for identification.[125][110]

On 21 July, Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak announced that the Malaysian government had reached a tentative agreement to get back the remains of the Malaysians who died in the crash, following any necessary forensic work.[126]

It was reported on 21 July that with 282 bodies and 87 body fragments found, there were still 16 bodies left unrecovered.[127]
Reactions
Countries

Australia – In an address to the parliament, Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott said that the aircraft was downed by a missile which seems to have been launched by Russian-backed rebels.[128] Moreover, Julie Bishop, the Australian Minister for Foreign Affairs said in an interview on an Australian television programme that it was "extraordinary" that her Russian counterparts have refused to speak to her over the shoot-down after the Russian ambassador was summoned to meet her.[128] The Russian government was critical of Abbott's response, branding his comments as "inappropriate" and an "accusation of guilt based on speculation", as Abbott was one of the first world leaders to publicly connect the shoot-down to Russia.[129] Abbott later criticized the recovery efforts as "shambolic", and "more like a garden clean-up than a forensic investigation", while Bishop publicly warned separatist forces against treating the victims' bodies as hostages.[130]

Canada – Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper issued a statement saying that he was "shocked and saddened" to have learned of the downing of the flight. He also stated that while it was not clear what caused the crash, the Government of Canada continued "to condemn Russia’s military aggression and illegal occupation of Ukraine, which is at the root of the ongoing conflict in the region."[131] Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird has called for a "credible and unimpeded" international investigation into the crash and called for pro-Russian forces to withdraw from the crash site.[132]

Germany – German Chancellor Angela Merkel demanded a swift, independent inquiry.[133]

Indonesia – Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono asked that whoever shot down the aircraft be punished unequivocally, and offered to help with the investigation.[134]

Malaysia – Malaysian Deputy Foreign Minister Hamzah Zainuddin said that the foreign ministry would be working closely with the Russian and Ukrainian governments with regard to the incident.[135] Prime Minister Najib Razak later said that Malaysia was unable to verify the cause of the crash and demanded that the perpetrators be punished.[136] The Malaysian government has declared to fly the country national flag at half-mast from 18 July until 21 July.[137]

Netherlands – Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte and King Willem-Alexander voiced their shock at the crash.[138][139] Minister of Foreign Affairs Frans Timmermans will join the Dutch investigation team sent to Ukraine.[140] Dutch government buildings flew the flag at half-mast on 18 July.[141] Music was cancelled and festivities were toned down during the last, usually festive, day of the Nijmegen Marches.[142] On 21 July Netherlands officially opened war crimes investigation regarding the downing of the aircraft. The country's prosecutor is said to be already located in Ukraine for that purpose. Rutte also threatened tough action against Russia if it would avoid assistance in the investigation.[143]

Romania – Romanian President Traian Băsescu declared himself "appalled" by the tragic event that occurred in Ukraine's airspace and asked for immediate clarification of the circumstances in which the plane crash occurred. He said EU experts should participate in the investigation along with Ukrainian authorities.[144]

Russia – Russian President Vladimir Putin said responsibility for the crash rests with "the country whose airspace the plane was in when it crashed", and that "the disaster wouldn't happen if the military action in south-east of Ukraine was not reenabled".[9][145][146] He further said that it was important to refrain from making any hasty conclusions and politicized statements before the end of the investigation. He said that Russia was ready to provide necessary assistance in organizing and carrying out a thorough international inquiry led by ICAO.[147] On 19 July Russian Ministry of Defence announced "10 questions to the Ukrainian government", repeating accusations earlier published in Russian media.[148][149] Russian citizens brought flowers to the Dutch embassy in Moscow.[150]

South Africa – South African Minister of International Relations and Cooperation Maite Nkoana-Mashabane urged world leaders not to jump to conclusions on the incident.[151] President Jacob Zuma called for independent investigation.[152]

Ukraine – Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko vowed support for a Dutch probe into the crash, which he called an act of terrorism. He offered condolences for the air disaster in a telephone conversation with Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte.[153] Ukrainian citizens brought flowers to the Dutch and Malaysian embassies in Kiev in support.[154][155]

United Kingdom – The British government requested an emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council and called an emergency Cobra meeting after the incident.[156][157]

United States – US President Barack Obama said the US would help determine the cause.[9] In a press statement, White House spokesman Josh Earnest called for an immediate ceasefire in Ukraine to allow for a full investigation.[158] Vice-President Joe Biden said the plane appeared to have been deliberately shot down, and vowed US assistance for the investigation into the crash.[146] US Ambassador to the United Nations Samantha Power stated that the flight "was likely downed by a surface-to-air missile, an SA-11, operated from a separatist-held location in eastern Ukraine," that the US could not "rule out technical assistance by Russian personnel" in operating the system, and that "Russia must end this war."[3] President Obama later stated that Russia should "pivot away from the strategy they’ve been taking and get serious about trying to resolve hostilities within Ukraine."[127]
Organizations
Association of Southeast Asian Nations – ASEAN member states strongly condemn the downing of Flight 17 and called for an independent and transparent investigation into the catastrophe. They also conveyed their profound sorrow and condolences to the families of those on board.[159]
Donbass People's Militia – Pro-Russian rebel commander Igor Girkin was quoted as stating that "a significant number of the bodies weren't fresh", although he stated that he could not confirm the information. He followed up by saying "Ukrainian authorities are capable of any baseness"; Girkin also said that blood serum and medications were found in the plane's remnants in large quantities.[160][161]
European Union – The European Union representatives José Manuel Barroso and Herman Van Rompuy released a joint statement calling for immediate and thorough investigation.[162] The EU officials also said that Ukraine has first claim on the plane's black boxes.[163]
International Civil Aviation Organization – ICAO declared that it was sending its team of experts to assist the National Bureau of Incidents and Accidents Investigation of Civil Aircraft (NBAAII) of Ukraine, which according to ICAO is the country in charge of the investigation under Article 26 of the Convention on International Civil Aviation.[164]
North Atlantic Treaty Organization – NATO said this incident highlighted the fact that the conflict in that area was becoming more dangerous.[165] NATO Secretary General Anders Rasmussen stated, "I am profoundly shocked and saddened by the crash of a Malaysia Airlines passenger aircraft in Ukraine today, with the loss of many lives." After offering his condolences to those affected, he added, "It is important that a full international investigation should be launched immediately, without any hindrance, to establish the facts and that those who may be responsible are swiftly brought to justice."[166]
Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe – Chairperson-in-Office and Swiss President Didier Burkhalter expressed "his sincere condolences to the families of the many victims of the shocking crash of the Malaysian Airlines Flight MH17 over Ukrainian territory". He also stated that "the OSCE stands ready to support Ukraine in this difficult rescue operation in every possible way."[167]
United Nations Security Council – The U.N. Security Council held an emergency meeting on Ukraine crisis. A British-drafted statement calling for "a full, thorough and independent international investigation" into what caused the crash and stressing the need for "all parties to grant immediate access by investigators to the crash site to determine the cause of the incident" was discussed.[168]
Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS – In a press statement, UNAIDS said, inter alia, "It seems that some of the finest academics, health-care workers and activists in the AIDS response may have perished while travelling to take part in the international gathering of experts and advocates...The UNAIDS family is in deep shock. Our hearts go out to the families of all the victims of this tragic crash. The deaths of so many committed people working against HIV will be a great loss for the AIDS response."[169]
Memorials

Since the crash, memorial services have been held in Australia[170] and the Netherlands, with the Netherlands declaring a national day of mourning.[171] The opening ceremony of the AIDS 2014 conference, of which a number of delegates were on board flight MH17, began with a tribute to the victims of the crash.[172] In Malaysia, makeshift memorials were created in the capital city of Kuala Lampur.[173]
Media coverage

Russian media declared that Ukraine was responsible because of its military actions. Initially, the Kremlin-backed outlet[174] RT (Russia Today) said that the plane was shot down by Ukrainians in a failed assassination attempt on Putin, in a plot which was organized by Ukraine's "Western backers".[175]

Sara Firth, a correspondent with RT, for which she had worked for over the previous five years, quit in protest at the channel's coverage which she described as "shockingly obvious misinformation."[176] RT issued a statement after Firth went public with reasons for her resignation saying, "We were not surprised by Sara Firth's decision to leave RT after five years as a Moscow and London correspondent, as she has recently informed us that she was likely to take an offer from another firm."[177]

On 18 July, The Daily Telegraph, along with other sources,[178][179] reported that the Russian government had modified or deleted information on Wikipedia pages relating to the MH17 incident, to remove statements that it helped provide the missile system used to shoot down the aircraft. Among the pages that were said to have been edited was the Russian version of an article listing civil aviation incidents, to say that "the plane [Flight MH17] was shot down by Ukrainian soldiers".[180]
See also