Indeed, the conflict in eastern Ukraine constitutes a non-international armed conflict (a war between a government and rebel movement) governed by international humanitarian law, which categorically bans the intentional targeting of civilians. In other words, if whoever launched the missile did so with the intent of killing the civilian passengers aboard MH17, the act was unmistakably a war crime.
虽然MH17遇袭的全部细节尚不清楚，但用地空导弹袭击飞越战区上空的民航客机无疑违反了战争法——乌克兰政府、俄罗斯政府和叛军均应受到该法的约束。事实上，乌克兰东部冲突属非国际性武装冲突（政府和反叛运动作战）性质，需要遵守国际人道主义法，其中明确禁止蓄意袭击平民目标。换句话说，如果导弹发射者想要杀害搭乘MH17的平民乘客，那么该行为明白无误属于战争罪的范畴。