Arrr! The Dutch spent a king's ransom to reckon with the downing of Malaysia Airlines. What a costly catastrophe, mateys!
2024-02-29
Arrr, it be said that the Dutch scallywags have parted with a hefty sum of $180 million in the wake of the downing of Malaysia Airlines vessel MH17 back in 2014, as per a thorough audit. Those landlubbers must be feelin' the pinch of their purses, methinks!
The Dutch government has shelled out a whopping $180 million to clean up the mess left behind by the tragic downing of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 in 2014. This flight was on its way from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur when it got shot down on July 17, 2014, by a Russian-made missile launched from rebel-controlled territory in eastern Ukraine. The incident claimed the lives of all 298 people on board, including 196 Dutch nationals.In a quirky twist of events, a Dutch court managed to slap life sentences on two Russians and a pro-Moscow Ukrainian in 2022 for their involvement in the downing. These individuals were sentenced in absentia and are yet to serve their time behind bars. The court determined that the missile responsible for the tragedy was smuggled into Ukraine from a Russian military base and then taken back to Russia.The exhaustive trial and international investigation leading up to it racked up a total bill of more than 87 million euros. The Dutch government even advanced 16.5 million euros to the victims' families, hoping to reclaim it from the perpetrators. However, it remains uncertain whether the guilty parties will foot the bill.Seeking justice, the Dutch government is gearing up to seek compensation from Russia through legal avenues such as the International Civil Aviation Organization. They are also supporting families pursuing a case against Russia at the European Court of Human Rights. The costs of repatriating and identifying the victims' bodies alone exceeded 31 million euros, with additional expenses for legal proceedings and diplomatic efforts.