Australia remains determined to hold Russia to account for the downing of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17, a decade on from the tragedy.
As family and friends of victims came together in Canberra on Wednesday to mark 10 years since the fatal crash, Foreign Minister Penny Wong said Australians remained united in grief.
The flight from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur was shot down by a Russian missile over Ukraine in July 2014, killing all 298 passengers and crew including 38 Australians.
In a memorial service at Parliament House, Senator Wong said the incident remained incomprehensible, promising to advocate fiercely for the victims’ loved ones in pursuing justice.
“We will not be deterred in our commitment to hold Russia to account,” she said.
“We cannot imagine the courage you have needed to summon to get through these 10 years. Grief never fully leaves us, but time and love can lessen its weight.”
The room where mourners gathered was filled with sunflowers, a symbol of the disaster after the plane crashed in fields lined with the yellow flora.
Former foreign minister Julie Bishop, who served in the role when the plane was downed, said it would be a date etched in the national memory.
“Ten years on, the families and friends have borne their loss with decency, the grief with dignity. The passing of time may dull the pain, but it will never erase the memory of their loved ones,” she said.
“It is shocking to think that on that day, 10 years ago, Australia found itself at the fulcrum of the Russian Ukraine conflict that continues to this day with such shocking consequences.”
Meryn O’Brien was among family members at the memorial service, honouring her son Jack.
Jack, who was 25, was on the flight returning from a holiday and preparing to move out from home.
“He blossomed into a really lovely, thoughtful, strong adult,” Ms O’Brien said.
“He’s always on our minds and we always mark birthdays and anniversaries, even the day when he went on his trip.
“We look back at messages he sent us or photos we got back.”
Large amounts of community support in the immediate aftermath had continued in the years since, she said.
“(There’s) solidarity and understanding when you get together, you don’t have to do too much small talk, you just know what the other people have been through,” Ms O’Brien said.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the world was shaken a decade ago after the plane was shot down.
“Australia remains steadfast in our commitment to seeking truth, justice and accountability from those responsible for this horrific act of violence,” he said.
The anniversary was a day steeped in sorrow, Ukrainian Ambassador Vasyl Myroshnychenko said.
“From the moment of the downing of MH17, Australia and Ukraine have been bound by the Australian blood spilt on Ukrainian soil,” he said.
Ms O’Brien said she didn’t have “unrealistic expectations” three people convicted in the Hague in absentia would serve their life imprisonment sentences, as they remain protected by Moscow.
“Russia still denies any responsibility, which is just ridiculous and terrible,” she said.
Ms O’Brien said she didn’t like the word closure because “our grief will never end”, but finding justice included exposing the truth.
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