A piece of the wreckage of the Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 lying in a field near the village of Grabove, in the region of Donetsk. Picture: AFP

The move comes after international investigators presented findings showing that the missile launcher used to shoot down MH17 over Eastern Ukraine in 2014 came from Russia and was returned there afterwards despite Russian denials.

The Joint Investigation Team presents the first results of its criminal probe into the downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17. Picture: Freek van den Bergh/Getty ImagesSource:Getty Images

The Dutch Foreign Ministry summoned Russia’s ambassador in The Hague for a diplomatic rebuke on Friday after Moscow made remarks critical of the MH17 investigation The ministry, citing spokeswoman Maria Zakharova, said that Moscow will explain its reasoning for not accepting the methods of the international investigation, which took the probe “in a wrong direction”.

Dutch Foreign Minister Bert Koenders called the Russian reaction “unacceptable”.

“Responding to the presentation of the initial findings ... spokespersons for the Kremlin and the Russian foreign ministry and defence ministry questioned the professionalism, integrity and independence of the Dutch public prosecution service,” the Dutch foreign ministry said.

“The Russian ambassador was informed that unsubstantiated criticism like this is unacceptable,” the ministry said in a statement, issued in The Hague.

A screenshot of a computerised video from the Joint Investigation Team of a TELAR (Transporter Erecter Launcher and Radar) launching the missile believed to be behind the shooting down of MH17. Picture: AAPSource:AAP

Moscow on Wednesday described as “biased” and “politically motivated” initial findings by a Dutch-led team of international investigators which concluded that the Malaysia Airlines flight was shot down by a missile transported from Russia.

The Boeing 777 passenger jet was blown out of the sky on July 17, 2014 over war-torn eastern Ukraine killing all 298 on board, the majority Dutch citizens.

Criminal investigators from the Netherlands, Australia, Belgium, Malaysia and Ukraine this week said they had “irrefutable evidence” that a BUK missile slammed into the plane and was fired from a field in a part of eastern Ukraine then controlled by pro-Russian rebels.

But the findings stopped short of directly accusing Moscow of involvement in the tragedy.

Koenders said: “Given the convincing nature of the evidence, Russia should respect the results that have been presented, rather than impugning the investigation and sowing doubt.” He called on Russia to “continue to co-operate fully with the investigation and subsequent prosecution and trial” of those responsible.

Ukraine and the West insist pro-Russian rebels blew the jet out of the sky with a Russian-made missile system likely supplied by Moscow.

The tragedy saw the European Union slap tougher sanctions on Russia, blamed by the West for being behind the rebellion. The punitive measures remain in place as the fighting drags on.

But Russia and the rebels have consistently denied any role in downing the plane, and have instead blamed Ukrainian government forces.