UN court’s failure to recognize obvious facts would have important implications - Ukraine’s top spy

This was reported by the GUR press service with reference to Budanov’s commentary to Liberation, Ukrinform reports.

"This is a disgrace for the international judicial system, this court decision is a mistake and a disaster, the non-recognition of obvious facts will have very important consequences, first of all for many civilized countries," said Kyrylo Budanov.

It is about the decision of the UN International Court of Justice of January 31, 2024 in the case of Ukraine vs Russia, where the aggressor was accused of violating the Convention on the Financing of Terrorism.

The court interpreted that Russia cannot be recognized as a sponsor of terrorism, since the Russian BUK missile, which in 2014 killed 298 civilian passengers and crew members of flight MH17, is a weapon, not money.

According to the GUR head, the corresponding ruling creates serious risks.

"[Turns out] if the aggressor state gives an SAM launcher [to terrorists], but not money, and if those down a civilian Boeing, then, in principle, it won’t be terrorism," said Budanov.

On January 31, the United Nations International Court of Justice handed down a judgment on Ukraine's accusations against Russia of violating international conventions on terrorism in eastern Ukraine, in particular as regards the MH17 downing, and persecution of Ukrainians and Crimean Tatars in occupied Crimea.

The Joint Investigative Team concluded that flight MH17 was shot down by the Buk surface-to-air missile, fired off by a launcher belonging to Russia’s 53rd anti-aircraft missile brigade based in Kursk.

The Court in the Netherlands found guilty of the MH17 downing ex-FSB operative Igor Girkin, top defense intelligence official of the so-called “DPR” entity, Sergei Dubinsky, and Ukrainian national Leonid Kharchenko.