Four men are to face nearly 300 charges of murder in connection with the downing of the MH17 passenger plane over Ukraine in 2014.

The charges are based on evidence collected by the international Joint Investigation Team (JIT) - consisting of law enforcement agencies from five countries.

Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 crashed in the Donetsk region of Ukraine on July 17th 2014 killing all 298 passengers and crew on board.

The JIT concluded in September 2016 that it had been shot down by a Soviet-developed surface-to-air missile system known as the BUK TELAR.

A man walks among the debris at the MH17 crash site near the village of Hrabove, Ukraine | 17-06-2014. Image: AP Photo/Dmitry Lovetsky

It found that the system was transported into the region from the Russian Federation and returned there with one missing missile after the plane was shot down.

In 2018 it announced its conclusion that the missile system came from the 53rd Anti-Aircraft Missile Brigade of the Russian armed forces.

At the time of the crash there was an ongoing armed conflict the region between pro-Russian fighters and the Ukrainian armed forces.

This morning, Dutch prosecutors announced that three Russian nationals and one Ukrainian would be charged with the murders of all 298 people on board as well as causing the crash resulting in the death of everyone on board.

The accused were named as:

• 48-year-old Igor Vsevolodovich Girkin
• 56-year-old Sergey Nikolayevich Dubinskiy
• 52-year-old Oleg Yuldashevich Pulatov
• 47-year-old Leonid Volodymyrovych Kharchenko

Igor Vsevolodovich Girkin. Image: Nederlands Politie

They said Mr Girkin, also known as Strelkov or Perviy,  is a former colonel of the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB).

At the time of the crash, he was acting as Minister of Defence and commander of the army of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic.

Prosecutors said that, as the highest ranking military officer in the area, he maintained contact with the Russian Federation.

Sergey Nikolayevich Dubinskiy. Image: Nederlands Politie

Prosecutors said Mr Dubinskiy is a former military officer of the GRU Russian Military Intelligence Service.

They said he was acting as head of the intelligence service of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic and was also in regular contact with officials in Russia.

Oleg Yuldashevich Pulatov. Image: Nederlands Politie

According to the charges, Mr Pulatov is a former military officer with the Spetznaz-GRU - the special units of the Russian Military Intelligence Service.

In 2014 he was acting as deputy head of the intelligence service of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic.

Mr Kharchenko, also known as Krot, is the only Ukrainian suspect and is also the only one with no military background.

Prosecutors said he was commander of a combat unit in the Donetsk region during the conflict and received his orders directly from Mr Dubinskiy.

The casing from the missile the Joint Investigation Team alleges was used to shoot down MH17. Image: Nederlands Politie

The Netherlands has issued International Arrest Warrants for all four and placed them on international wanted lists.

Extradition requests have not been sent to either Ukraine or Russia as their constitutions do not allow for their citizens to be handed over.

A venturi, or the exhaust, of the missile the Joint Investigation Team alleges was used to shoot down MH17. Image: Nederlands PolitieMH

The charges were announced after officials this morning met with the surviving relatives of those who died in the crash.

The trial is set to get underway on March 9th 2020 at 10am at the District Court of The Hague.

The JIT has urged anyone who played a role in the downing of the flight, including members of the 53rd Brigade, to come forward.

The investigation is ongoing and will continue to focus on Russia's military support to fighters in Ukraine in 2014.