Tony Abbott still "yearns for justice" for those killed in the missile attack on Malaysia Airlines flight MH17, two years after the atrocity that ushered in the darkest and most difficult days of his prime ministership.

While Mr Abbott now concedes the culprits may never face trial, he hopes a criminal investigation into the disaster – expected to report in coming weeks – will lead to some solace for grieving families in Australia and abroad.

"I grieve with those who continue to grieve and I yearn for justice with those who continue to yearn for justice," Mr Abbott told Fairfax Media in an interview before the second anniversary of the attack on Sunday.

"I think justice, ideally, would be identifying people who could be brought to trial. That, I suspect, might be more than can be hoped for.