Australian Ministry of Foreign Affairs urged Russia to cooperate in the case of the crash of MH17 flight

The perpetrators who brought down Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 in July 2014, killing all 298 aboard, may be tried in absentia, Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop said on Sunday. This was reported by Reuters.

Most of those on board the Boeing 777 were Dutch, but others came from 17 countries, including 38 Australians.

It was shot down by a Russian-made Buk missile over eastern Ukrainian territory held by pro-Russia separatists, the Dutch Safety Board concluded in 2015.

Late in June, the Netherlands said suspects in the case would be tried in a Dutch court, and under Dutch law.

Bishop said "every legal avenue" was being pursued, and urged Russia to comply with UN Security Council resolution 2166, authored by Australia.

"That calls on all states to cooperate to ensure that those responsible for the killing are brought to justice," she told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.

"It may be that there will have be to a trial in absentia," Bishop added.

Moscow, which denies any involvement in the fighting in eastern Ukraine, also denies one of its rockets could have been used against MH17.

As it was reported earlier Malaysia hopes those behind MH17 crash will be named by early 2018. The government is eager to bring to justice the perpetrators of the tragedy that claimed lives of 298 people in July 2014.