MH17 was brought down in 2014 over territory held by pro-Russian separatist forces in eastern Ukraine as it flew from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur, killing all 298 people on board.
American Quinn Lucas Schansman, 18, was aboard MH17 on his way to meet his parents for a family vacation. Fighting broke out in 2014 between separatist forces in eastern Ukraine backed by Moscow – the DPR – and forces loyal to the pro-Western Ukrainian government in Kiev. The Ukrainian government has designated the DPR as a terrorist group.
A team of international investigators, which is attempting to identify perpetrators to be tried under Dutch law, said in May last year a “Buk” missile system used to bring down the passenger plane came from the 53rd Anti-Aircraft Brigade, based in the western Russian city of Kursk.