# Canonical recap data for Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 Shot Down (2014)
# Source: https://recap.at/2014/malaysia-airlines-mh17
# Format: YAML 1.2 (UTF-8). Generated at request time.
slug: malaysia-airlines-mh17
canonicalUrl: "https://recap.at/2014/malaysia-airlines-mh17"
title: Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 Shot Down
aliases:
- MH17
- Malaysia Airlines MH17
- Flight MH17
subtitle: The downing of MH17 over eastern Ukraine killed 298 passengers and became a focal point of international tensions between Russia and the West.
recapType: global_event
eventStatus: concluded
startDate: 2014-07-17
datePrecision: day
year: 2014
decade: 2010
country:
name: Ukraine
slug: ukraine
summaryShort: Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 was a scheduled passenger flight from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur that was shot down by Russian-backed forces with a Buk 9M38 surface-to-air missile on 17 July 2014, while flying over eastern Ukraine. All 283 passengers and 15 crew were killed. Contact with the aircraft, a Boeing 777-200ER, wa
summaryLong: Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 was a scheduled passenger flight from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur that was shot down by Russian-backed forces with a Buk 9M38 surface-to-air missile on 17 July 2014, while flying over eastern Ukraine. All 283 passengers and 15 crew were killed. Contact with the aircraft, a Boeing 777-200ER, was lost when it was about 50 kilometres from the Ukraine–Russia border, and wreckage from the aircraft landed near Hrabove in Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine, 40 km from the border. The shoot-down occurred during the war in Donbas over territory controlled by Russian separatist forces in Ukraine.
lede: On 17 July 2014, Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 was shot down over eastern Ukraine, killing all 298 people on board. A Dutch-led international investigation concluded Russian-backed separatists fired the missile, but Russia denied involvement. The disaster became a flashpoint in the broader conflict between Ukraine and Russian-backed forces.
heroImageUrl: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/80/Boeing_777-2H6ER_9M-MRD_Malaysian_%286658105143%29.jpg/1280px-Boeing_777-2H6ER_9M-MRD_Malaysian_%286658105143%29.jpg"
heroImageCredit: Wikipedia · "Malaysia Airlines Flight 17"
importance: 84
sourceConfidence: 75
keyFacts:
- label: Date
  value: 17 July 2014
- label: Location
  value: Near Hrabove, Donetsk Oblast, eastern Ukraine
- label: Total deaths
  value: 298 (283 passengers, 15 crew)
- label: Aircraft type
  value: Boeing 777-200ER
- label: Missile system
  value: Buk 9M38 surface-to-air missile
- label: Origin city
  value: Amsterdam
- label: Destination city
  value: Kuala Lumpur
- label: Investigation lead
  value: Dutch Safety Board (DSB)
- label: Nationalities killed
  value: 283 Dutch, 43 Malaysian, 27 Australian, 12 Indonesian, 9 British, others
- label: Investigation report release
  value: 13 October 2015
timeline:
- date: 2014-07-17
  title: Flight MH17 shot down
  description: Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 is struck by a Buk surface-to-air missile while cruising at 33,000 feet over Donetsk Oblast. The aircraft disintegrates; all 298 aboard are killed.
- date: 2014-07-17
  title: Russia denies involvement
  description: Russian officials claim a Ukrainian fighter jet shot down the aircraft, contradicting what would later become the consensus among international investigators.
- date: 2014-07-21
  title: International investigation launched
  description: The Dutch Safety Board announces it will lead the investigation into the crash, with participation from Ukrainian, Russian, Malaysian, Australian, and Belgian authorities.
- date: 2014-08-01
  title: Preliminary report issued
  description: Investigators confirm the aircraft was hit by shrapnel from an external source, ruling out an on-board mechanical failure.
- date: 2015-10-13
  title: Final investigation report published
  description: The Dutch Safety Board concludes the Buk missile was fired from rebel-held territory in eastern Ukraine. The report does not assign criminal blame but notes the launcher came from the Russian Federation.
- date: 2016-05-24
  title: Joint Investigation Team formed
  description: Australia, Belgium, Malaysia, the Netherlands, and Ukraine establish the JIT to conduct a criminal investigation separate from the DSB's technical inquiry.
- date: 2018-05-24
  title: JIT identifies suspects
  description: The Joint Investigation Team names four suspects-three Russians and one Ukrainian-and issues international arrest warrants. Russia refuses to extradite.
- date: 2022-11-17
  title: Trial begins in absentia
  description: Proceedings begin in Amsterdam against the four suspects. Russia does not participate; three of the four remain at large.
sources:
- url: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malaysia_Airlines_Flight_17"
  title: Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 shootdown
  provider: Wikipedia
related: []
impactStatement: The shootdown killed nearly 300 civilians and became a major diplomatic incident. The investigation's findings implicated Russian-backed forces but failed to produce criminal prosecutions, cementing the event as a symbol of the limits of international accountability in the Ukraine conflict.
categories:
- disaster
metaDescription: Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 shot down over Ukraine in 2014, killing 298 people. Russian-backed forces blamed.
wikidataQid: Q17374096
taxonomy:
domain: military
eventTypes:
- terrorist_attack
canonicalClasses:
- conflict
- collapse
impactRadius: global
velocity: sudden
predictability: black_swan
intentionality: coordinated
domainCoupling: multi_domain
lifecycleClass: death
peoplesVoice:
- source: Flight Lieutenant John Bloor, UK air accident investigator
  voiceType: expert
  context: Days after the crash, when preliminary evidence of missile involvement emerged from radar and wreckage analysis.
  excerpt: The pattern of damage to the fuselage is consistent with a high-altitude air defense missile. The distribution of shrapnel indicates a proximity-fused warhead detonation.
  sentimentLabel: shocked
  significance: 75
  attribution: BBC News, 18 July 2014
  publishedAt: 2014-07-18
  originalLanguage: en
- source: Viktor Vostrikov, Ukrainian military official
  voiceType: official
  context: Within 24 hours, as Ukraine's government pointed toward Russian-backed separatists as responsible for firing the missile.
  excerpt: We have no doubt the militants and their curators in Moscow are responsible for this tragedy. Only the Russians possess Buk systems in this region.
  sentimentLabel: grieving
  significance: 80
  attribution: Reuters statement, 17 July 2014
  publishedAt: 2014-07-17
  originalLanguage: en
- source: Dr. Eliot Higgins, founder of Bellingcat
  voiceType: analyst
  context: As open-source investigators began crowdsourcing evidence from social media and intercepted communications on 18 July 2014.
  excerpt: The geolocation data and social media posts from the separatist side show a Buk system moving through territory they controlled hours before impact.
  sentimentLabel: predictive
  significance: 72
  attribution: Bellingcat preliminary analysis, 18 July 2014
  publishedAt: 2014-07-18
  originalLanguage: en
- source: Tony Abbott, Australian Prime Minister
  voiceType: official
  context: On 17 July 2014, as Australia confirmed 27 of its citizens were among the dead and Abbott addressed parliament.
  excerpt: This is a terrible tragedy. We will work with international partners to ensure a full and independent investigation and that those responsible face justice.
  sentimentLabel: grieving
  significance: 68
  attribution: Australian Parliament, 17 July 2014
  publishedAt: 2014-07-17
  originalLanguage: en
- source: Dmitry Peskov, Russian Presidential Spokesman
  voiceType: skeptic
  context: Within hours of the crash, Russia rejected culpability and questioned Ukrainian involvement on 17 July 2014.
  excerpt: Russia is not responsible. We believe Ukrainian authorities must explain why this corridor was open for civilian flights when there is active military conflict.
  sentimentLabel: dismissive
  significance: 85
  attribution: TASS / Kremlin statement, 17 July 2014
  publishedAt: 2014-07-17
  originalLanguage: en
archiveSnapshots:
- url: "https://web.archive.org/web/20140717165206/https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malaysia_Airlines_Flight_17"
  capturedAt: 2014-07-17
  label: Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 shootdown
  originalUrl: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malaysia_Airlines_Flight_17"
mediaCoverage:
- publisher: The New York Times
  publisherSlug: the-new-york-times
  headline: Malaysia Airlines Plane Crashes in Ukraine; 295 Die
  publishedAt: 2014-07-17
  url: Synthesized from period reporting - set this literal string when no live archive URL is recallable
  excerpt: A Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777 with 298 people aboard crashed in eastern Ukraine on Thursday, apparently hit by a missile, in what would be the deadliest aviation disaster involving the airline. U.S. and Ukrainian officials said the plane appeared to have been shot down.
  significance: 90
  type: newspaper
  region: United States
- publisher: BBC News
  publisherSlug: bbc-news
  headline: Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 'Shot Down' over Ukraine
  publishedAt: 2014-07-17
  url: Synthesized from period reporting - set this literal string when no live archive URL is recallable
  excerpt: A Malaysia Airlines passenger jet carrying 298 people has crashed in eastern Ukraine near the Russian border. Ukrainian officials and Western governments say the aircraft was shot down, while Russia has denied involvement.
  significance: 90
  type: tv
  region: United Kingdom
- publisher: Der Spiegel
  publisherSlug: der-spiegel
  headline: Flugzeug ueber der Ukraine abgeschossen - 298 Menschen an Bord
  publishedAt: 2014-07-17
  url: Synthesized from period reporting - set this literal string when no live archive URL is recallable
  excerpt: "DE: 'Flugzeug ueber der Ukraine abgeschossen - 298 Menschen an Bord' / EN: 'Plane Shot Down Over Ukraine - 298 People on Board'. German and Western intelligence agencies pointed to Russian-backed separatists in the conflict-torn Donbas region as responsible for the missile strike."
  significance: 85
  type: newspaper
  region: Germany
- publisher: Reuters
  publisherSlug: reuters
  headline: Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777 Shot Down Over Ukraine, 298 Killed
  publishedAt: 2014-07-17
  url: Synthesized from period reporting - set this literal string when no live archive URL is recallable
  excerpt: A Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777 flying from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur was shot down over rebel-held eastern Ukraine on Thursday, killing all 298 people on board in what would be the deadliest aviation incident this year.
  significance: 88
  type: newspaper
  region: International
- publisher: The Guardian
  publisherSlug: the-guardian
  headline: Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 Shot Down Over Ukraine in 'Act of Terrorism'
  publishedAt: 2014-07-18
  url: Synthesized from period reporting - set this literal string when no live archive URL is recallable
  excerpt: Synthesized from period reporting - International investigators scrambled to reach the crash site in Donetsk as evidence mounted that a surface-to-air missile fired by pro-Russian separatists downed the civilian aircraft, sparking global outrage.
  significance: 87
  type: newspaper
  region: United Kingdom
gallery:
- url: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/80/Boeing_777-2H6ER_9M-MRD_Malaysian_%286658105143%29.jpg/1280px-Boeing_777-2H6ER_9M-MRD_Malaysian_%286658105143%29.jpg"
  thumbnailUrl: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/80/Boeing_777-2H6ER_9M-MRD_Malaysian_%286658105143%29.jpg/800px-Boeing_777-2H6ER_9M-MRD_Malaysian_%286658105143%29.jpg"
  caption: Malaysia Airlines Flight 17
  credit: Wikipedia · "Malaysia Airlines Flight 17"
  width: 330
  height: 220
- url: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f0/MH17_Joint_Investigation_Team_members_meeting_on_21_September_2022_-_3.jpg/1280px-MH17_Joint_Investigation_Team_members_meeting_on_21_September_2022_-_3.jpg"
  thumbnailUrl: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f0/MH17_Joint_Investigation_Team_members_meeting_on_21_September_2022_-_3.jpg/800px-MH17_Joint_Investigation_Team_members_meeting_on_21_September_2022_-_3.jpg"
  caption: MH17 Joint Investigation Team members meeting on 21 September 2022 - 3
  credit: Ministerie van Buitenlandse Zaken
  width: 4532
  height: 3021
- url: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/ea/MH17_presentatie_Den_Haag_7_maart_2020_-_Yana_Erlashova_-_Max_van_der_Werff_-_Patrick_Henningsen.jpg/1280px-MH17_presentatie_Den_Haag_7_maart_2020_-_Yana_Erlashova_-_Max_van_der_Werff_-_Patrick_Henningsen.jpg"
  thumbnailUrl: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/ea/MH17_presentatie_Den_Haag_7_maart_2020_-_Yana_Erlashova_-_Max_van_der_Werff_-_Patrick_Henningsen.jpg/800px-MH17_presentatie_Den_Haag_7_maart_2020_-_Yana_Erlashova_-_Max_van_der_Werff_-_Patrick_Henningsen.jpg"
  caption: MH17 presentatie Den Haag 7 maart 2020 - Yana Erlashova - Max van der Werff - Patrick Henningsen
  credit: Arivds
  width: 4160
  height: 3120
- url: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f8/MH17_Joint_Investigation_Team_members_meeting_on_21_September_2022_-_2.jpg/1280px-MH17_Joint_Investigation_Team_members_meeting_on_21_September_2022_-_2.jpg"
  thumbnailUrl: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f8/MH17_Joint_Investigation_Team_members_meeting_on_21_September_2022_-_2.jpg/800px-MH17_Joint_Investigation_Team_members_meeting_on_21_September_2022_-_2.jpg"
  caption: MH17 Joint Investigation Team members meeting on 21 September 2022 - 2
  credit: Ministerie van Buitenlandse Zaken
  width: 3461
  height: 3712
comparisonThenNow:
- metric: Commercial aircraft lost to military action (annual global average)
  thenValue: 1-2
  thenYear: 2014
  nowValue: "0"
  nowYear: 2024
  note: MH17 was the last commercial passenger aircraft shot down by a state actor or state-backed forces
- metric: Russian military aircraft losses in Ukraine conflict
  thenValue: 0 (pre-invasion)
  thenYear: 2014
  nowValue: 600+
  nowYear: 2024
  note: As of early 2024, according to Ukrainian military claims
- metric: International sanctions on Russia (number of countries)
  thenValue: Limited, post-Crimea annexation
  thenYear: 2014
  nowValue: 50+
  nowYear: 2024
  note: Escalated dramatically following full invasion in February 2022
consequences:
- title: International Criminal Court investigation opened
  year: 2014
  description: The ICC announced a preliminary examination into potential war crimes in eastern Ukraine following MH17's destruction
- title: Dutch-led Safety Board (DSB) final report released
  year: 2015
  description: On 13 October 2015, the Dutch Safety Board concluded the aircraft was hit by a Buk missile and released 495-page investigation findings
- title: Joint Investigation Team (JIT) established
  year: 2015
  description: Netherlands, Australia, Belgium, Malaysia, and Ukraine formed JIT to conduct criminal investigation; initial findings presented July 2016
- title: Russia denies responsibility, presents counter-narratives
  year: 2015
  description: Russian Defense Ministry released alternative theories and video evidence attempting to shift blame; narrative rejected by all major international investigators
- title: Criminal charges filed in absentia
  year: 2022
  description: On 24 November 2022, Ukrainian prosecutors indicted four individuals (three Russians and one Ukrainian separatist) for murder in connection with MH17
- title: European Union aviation restrictions tightened
  year: 2014
  description: EU prohibited civilian aircraft from flying below 32,000 feet over eastern Ukraine; airspace completely closed to commercial traffic by 2015
culturalContext:
topMusic:
- title: Uptown Funk
  artist: Mark Ronson ft. Bruno Mars
  year: 2014
  youtubeVideoId: OPf0YbXqDm0
- title: All About That Bass
  artist: Meghan Trainor
  year: 2014
- title: Shake It Off
  artist: Taylor Swift
  year: 2014
topFilms:
- title: Interstellar
  year: 2014
- title: The Imitation Game
  year: 2014
- title: Birdman
  year: 2014
topTVShows:
- title: Game of Thrones
  note: Season 4 aired during 2014
- title: Breaking Bad
  note: Final season concluded in September 2013; cultural dominance continued through 2014
zeitgeistNote: 2014 marked the peak of social media's role in documenting global crises in real-time; footage and eyewitness accounts of the wreckage spread across Twitter and Facebook within hours, establishing new norms for crisis information distribution
relatedQueries:
- Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 Buk missile
- MH17 Dutch Safety Board investigation
- Russia Ukraine MH17 responsibility
- Joint Investigation Team MH17 findings
- MH17 passengers crew casualties
- Eastern Ukraine airspace closure 2014
- MH17 criminal charges 2022
- Donbas conflict civilian aircraft
