MH17 10 years on: Russia’s lies ‘murdered’ victims twice, Ukraine foreign minister says

At the MH17 National Monument at Vijfhuizen Park near Amsterdam Schiphol Airport, a tree has been planted for every victim of the doomed flight.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba told This Week in Asia on the 10th anniversary of the tragedy that the grief of the MH17 next-of-kin was “still abused” by Russia through its “blatant, systemic, and shameless lies” and “its inhumane refusal” to acknowledge the truth, assume responsibility, and say “sorry” to the victims and their families.

“I regret to say this but Russia has murdered the innocent MH17 victims twice. First, with their missile. Second, with their lies,” Kuleba said in a written interview.

The reconstructed site was opened for a small group of journalists, including This Week In Asia, on the eve of the MH17 anniversary.

The 298 victims were from 17 different countries, with Dutch nationals making up the majority at 198 killed. There were also 43 Malaysians, 38 Australians and 10 Britons on board.

Kuleba said: “It’s therefore difficult for me to comprehend what kind of pain their relatives have gone through during these summer days 10 years ago and in these 10 years … since the very beginning, Russian aggression against Ukraine is not only against Ukraine and Ukrainians, this is a global threat.”

Silene Fredriksz, a Dutch national who lost her 23-year-old son Bryce and his 21-year-old girlfriend Daisy Oehlers on the flight, told reporters that Russia has “never even said sorry” and that she did not expect the country “to ever apologise”.

More than 26,000 tweets were observed immediately after MH17 was shot down, blaming Ukraine for the downing and denying Russia’s role in the tragedy, according to investigators.

The tweets were traced to a “troll factory” in St