Three years on after flight MH17 was shot out of the sky in Ukrainian airspace, Canberra's Ukrainian community came together to remember the tragedy's 298 victims.

A small congregation gathered at the Ukrainian Orthodox Centre in Turner on Saturday, just days after the third anniversary of the airline disaster.

The Malaysia Airlines flight was travelling between Amsterdam and Kuala Lumpur when it was destroyed by a missile fired by pro-Russian separatists.

Speaking at the memorial service, Ukraine's ambassador to Australia, Mykola Kulinich, said it was important to honour the victims of the flight, which included 27 Australians.

"The service is very important because this was one of the most barbaric acts I've remembered in my life, and innocent people were shot down over our territory," he said.

"It is a constant source of sorrow. We can't take away the fact we've lost people, but we'll do everything we can to have justice."

During the service, a candle was lit for each of the victims of the doomed flight, with a cross formed with candles representing the Australians onboard.

Sunflowers were also prominent throughout the memorial, which became a symbol in the aftermath of MH17, with the plane coming down among a field of the flowers.

While speeches were made in English, songs throughout the service were sung in Ukrainian.

Father Michael Solomko, who led the commemoration, said while no Ukrainians were lost in the disaster, the entire community has been affected.

"This is a tragedy that did not need to happen," he said.

"The church is no place for political statements. We are here to honour the victims."

As well as Ukraine's ambassador, ambassadors to the Netherlands, Denmark, Estonia and Hungary also attended the commemorations.

A memorial has been held at the Orthodox centre every year since the tragedy happened, as well as in the days following the incident in 2014.

"The Ukrainian community proposed to me to organise something here in Australia because a lot of the victims were from Australia," Dr Kulinich said.

"Today and tomorrow, the liturgy in all the Ukrainian churches will commemorate MH17, and this way, it's not only Canberra, it's everywhere in Australia."

The service comes days after the official anniversary on July 17, where an official memorial was unveiled in the Netherlands.

Dr Kulinich said he's welcomed the news of a trial in the Netherlands of those claimed to responsible for the incident, where they will be tried under Dutch law.

"The trial is very important, and the Dutch [legal system] is among the most respectable and accepted by all, so this is a very important step," he said.

"Those responsible have to be held accountable and brought to justice."