AMSTERDAM: The Netherlands will continue to hold Russia to account for the downing of passenger flight MH17 over eastern Ukraine in 2014, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte said on Wednesday.

Rutte said it was a "bitter disappointment" that the international investigation into the downing of MH17 had ended without further prosecutions for lack of evidence.

"We will continue to call the Russian Federation to account for its role in this tragedy," Rutte said in a statement.

Russia has denied any involvement with the downing of the civilian airliner, which killed 298 passengers and crew.

 - Reuters