Alexandra Chyczij, National President of the Ukrainian Canadian Congress, issued the following statement after a Dutch court convicted three individuals for murder in the shooting down of Flight MH-17:
Today the thoughts of the Ukrainian Canadian community are with the families of the 298 innocent victims – including one Canadian – who were murdered when Russian occupation forces shot down Flight MH-17 on July 17, 2014, over Russian-occupied eastern Ukraine.
We hope that the verdict delivered today provides at least some measure of closure and justice to the victims of Russia’s crime and to their loved ones. We join the families and friends of the victims in mourning and grief.
The Russian Federation, which invaded eastern Ukraine in 2014 and supplied the BUK missile that shot down MH-17, bears ultimate responsibility for this heinous act of international terrorism.
Since the shooting down of Flight MH-17 over eight years ago, Russia has continued its war of aggression against Ukraine and has continued to engage in and support acts of terrorism. Russia has murdered tens of thousands of innocent people. The UCC calls on the Government of Canada and our allies to designate the Russian Federation a state supporter of terrorism.
May the Memory of the Victims Be Eternal. Вічная Пам’ять.
