MH17 verdict: Three CONVICTED of murdering 298 on Malaysia Airlines plane shot down by Russian-made missile over Ukraine

THREE men have been found guilty of murdering 298 people who died in the 2014 downing of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 over Ukraine. Russian nationals Igor Girkin and Sergey Dubinskiy and Ukrainian Leonid Kharchenko were found guilty by the court – and have been ordered to pay at least £14million in compensation. AFPUkrainian rescue workers walk past a piece of wreckage of the plane[/caption] EPAThree men have been found guilty of murder over the downing of the flight[/caption] A third Russian national, Oleg Pulatov, was cleared of the charges. In 2014, they were fighters for the pro-Russian separatist movement, the Donetsk People’s Republic. Judge Hendrik Steenhuis said evidence presented at the two-year trial proved the Boeing 777 was brought down by a Buk missile fired by pro-Moscow Ukrainian rebels on July 17, 2014. Steenhuis said the court believed that Russia had overall control at the time of a separatist region in eastern Ukraine, the Donetsk People’s Republic. Read more on MH17 SICK PROMOTION Putin warlord accused of MH17 mass murder made Ukraine war front commander NO FLY ZONE Russia deploys 50 warplanes to Black Sea as US warns airlines may be SHOT DOWN The verdict comes more than eight years after the jet flying from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur was blown out of the sky over Ukraine, killing all 298 passengers and crew members. The mid-air explosion and crash happened amid a conflict between pro-Russia rebels and Ukrainian forces. The crash scattered debris and bodies over farmland and fields of sunflowers. Ukrainian presidential advisor said the ruling was “a signal to the world, including Russia, that every war crime committed by the Russians will be documented, investigated and brought to a conclusion”. THIS IS A DEVELOPING STORY… The Sun is your go to destination for the best celebrity news, football news, real-life stories, jaw-dropping pictures and must-see video. Download our fantastic, new and improved free App for the best ever Sun Online experience. For iPhone click here, for Android click here.  Like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/TheSun and follow us from our main Twitter account at @TheSun.