The European Court of Human Rights has confirmed it will hear a Dutch case against Russia over the downing of flight MH17 in 2014.

All 298 people on the Malaysia Airlines flight from Amsterdam were killed when it was shot down by a missile fired by Moscow-backed Ukrainian separatists.

The Dutch government argues that Russia's disinformation about Moscow's role in the incident is a violation of the relatives' human rights.

..Matthew Horder's parents Howard and Susan were on the flight as it travelled from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur.

Prosecutors and investigators said they had found "strong indications" Russian President Vladimir Putin approved the use of the weaponry that brought down the jet, but the investigation had "reached its limit" and would be suspended.

Prosecutor Digna van Boetzelaer said the team had "exhausted all avenues of investigation", noting Russia's refusal to cooperate.

Mr Horder said the decision was disappointing after such a long period, but the Sunshine Coast man was prepared for the outcome...

....The new sanctions imposed by Australia target two of the convicted men, Sergey Dubinskiy and Leonid Kharchenko.

The government has also imposed sanctions on Sergey Muchkaev, a colonel with the Russian Armed Forces and the commander of the anti-aircraft missile brigade that supplied the missile.

The third convicted perpetrator, Igor Girkin, was already sanctioned by Australia in 2014 for supporting separatist activity in eastern Ukraine.

Both Coalition and Labor governments in Australia have thrown their full weight behind the Netherlands-led efforts to secure prosecutions for the crime and to hold Russia responsible for the hundreds of deaths......