EU calls on Russia to 'accept responsibility' for MH17 crash

BRUSSELS - European Union (EU) top diplomat on Friday called on Russia to "accept its responsibility" for shooting down Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 in 2014, an accusation Russia rejected.

Federica Mogherini, the bloc's foreign policy chief, cited the conclusion of an investigation team in a statement, alleging that "the Buk installation used to bring down flight MH17 belonged beyond doubt to the armed forces of the Russian Federation."

"The European Union calls on the Russian Federation to accept its responsibility and to fully cooperate with all efforts to establish accountability," she said.

The Dutch-led five-nation joint investigation team (JIT) announced on Thursday that the installation of the Buk missile that shot down the flight MH17 in 2014 came from the 53rd anti-aircraft missile brigade of the Russian army in Kursk.

On the heels of the announcement, the Russian Defense Ministry Friday refuted the accusation, saying that no new anti-aircraft missiles crossed the border to Ukraine since 1991.

The Malaysian Airlines flight MH17 crashed in the conflict zone in eastern Ukraine on July 17, 2014, while flying from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur. All 298 people on board died, including 196 Dutch citizens.

In August 2014, authorities from the Netherlands, Australia, Belgium, Ukraine, and Malaysia set up the JIT to conduct a criminal investigation into the crash.