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As fighting continued to rage in eastern Ukraine, an international team of investigators managed to reach the crash site of the Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 for the first time since it was brought down by a missile two weeks ago.
Clashes along routes to the wreckage site between government troops and pro-Russian separatist rebels had kept the delegation from reaching the area to retrieve bodies that have been lying in open fields. But the investigators were allowed through a checkpoint leading to the crash site at the village of Rozsypne early on Thursday afternoon by an armed militiaman who then fired a warning shot to prevent reporters from accompanying the convoy. The militiaman, who gave his name only as “Sergei”, told journalists that fighting was still ongoing in Rozsypne.
The team of police and forensic experts, which comprises members from the Netherlands and Australia, were expected initially to focus their efforts on retrieving bodies still on the site and collecting victims’ belongings. Security for investigators has been a major concern as the Ukrainian army continues in its offensive to take back territory from the rebels.
Show all 109 1 /109In pictures: Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 crash In pictures: Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 crash Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 A man cycles past a piece of the wreckage of the Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 in Petropavlivka, Ukraine
In pictures: Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 crash Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 Dutch military personnel carry a coffin containing the remains of the victims of the MH17 plane crash to a hearse at the airbase in Eindhoven, The Netherlands. A Dutch Air Force C-130 Hercules plane and an Australian Royal Australian Air Force C17 transport plane brought back 74 more coffins containing remains of the victims of the Malaysia Airlines MH17 plane crash, from Kharkiv in eastern Ukraine to the Eindhoven air base in the Netherlands
In pictures: Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 crash Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 A couple is backdropped by pictures of victims of the MH17 air crash during a memorial concert in Kharkiv, Ukraine
In pictures: Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 crash Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 A man lights a candle as family and friends attend a multi-faith service at St. Paul's Cathedral in Melbourne for those who lost their lives on Malaysia Airlines flight MH17
In pictures: Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 crash Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 A woman cries after leaving a photograph (L) on the altar during a multi-faith service at St. Paul's Cathedral in Melbourne for those who lost their lives on Malaysia Airlines flight MH17
In pictures: Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 crash Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 Sympathizers hug in front of flowers tribute at the entrance to the Korporaal van Oudheusdenkazerne, army barracks, in Hilversum, The Netherlands, where bodies of the people killed in the Malaysia Airlines MH17 air crash in Ukraine will be identified
In pictures: Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 crash Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 Angela (R) and George Dyczynski (L), walk past a Flight MH-17 memorial after arriving at Schiphol Airport, the Netherlands. Mr and Mrs Dyczynski have flown from Perth, Australia, to search for their daughter, Fatima, who was on board Malaysia Airlines flight MH-17 which crashed in the Ukraine
In pictures: Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 crash Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 The tower and airport buildings are reflected in the window of a terminal building as an airline hostess arranges floral tributes placed at the the Schiphol Airport, near Amsterdam, The Netherlands
In pictures: Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 crash Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 Members of the church share their grief at a Multifaith memorial service held for victims of the MH17 disaster at St Paul's Cathedral in Melbourne, Australia
In pictures: Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 crash Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 The column of funeral hearses drive near Boxtel after leaving the airbase in Eindhoven to Hilversum, The Netherlands, after the arrival of a Dutch Air Force C-130 Hercules plane and an Australian Royal Australian Air Force C17 transport plane with the first bodies of the 298 victims of the Malaysia Airlines MH17 plane crash in eastern Ukraine arrives from Kharkiv, Ukraine
In pictures: Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 crash Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 A procession of hearses carrying the bodies of victims in the Malaysia Airlines flight MH-17 crash, depart after a ceremony at Eindhoven Airbase, the Netherlands
In pictures: Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 crash Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 (L-R) King Willem-Alexander, Queen Maxima and Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte at the airbase in Eindhoven, The Netherlands, during the arrival of a Dutch Air Force C-130 Hercules plane and an Australian Royal Australian Air Force C17 transport plane with the first bodies of the 298 victims of the Malaysia Airlines MH17 plane crash in eastern Ukraine arrives from Kharkiv, Ukraine
In pictures: Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 crash Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 Bodies of victims in the Malaysia Airlines flight MH-17 crash are transferred to funeral hearses by Dutch military personnel during a ceremony at Eindhoven Airbase, the Netherlands. The bodies were flown from Kharkiv, Ukraine, to the Netherlands after being recovered from the crash site
In pictures: Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 crash Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 Relatives of victims of the downed Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 react as people wearing white clothes gather in memory of the victims, in Amsterdam
In pictures: Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 crash Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 People release white balloons in the air during a silent march in memory of the victims of the downed Malaysia Airlines flight MH17, on July 23, 2014 in Amsterdam
Getty Images
In pictures: Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 crash Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 People gather during a silent march in memory of the victims of MH17, in Amsterdam
Getty Images
In pictures: Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 crash Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 Hearses carry coffins containing unidentified bodies from the crash of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 leave the airport in Eindhoven, Netherlands
EPA
In pictures: Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 crash Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 A column of funeral hearses carrying the bodies of Dutch passengers after leaving the airbase in Eindhoven
EPA
In pictures: Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 crash Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 The extent of the wreckage at the site where Malaysia Airlines MH17 crashed near Hrabove (Grabovo) close to Donetsk
Reuters
In pictures: Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 crash Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 A Malaysian man lights up candles during a vigil in remembrance for passengers and crew of the Malaysian Airline flight MH370 & MH17 in Petaling Jaya near Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
EPA
In pictures: Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 crash Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 Belongings of victims are pictured at the crash site of the Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 in a field near the village of Grabove, in the Donetsk region
AFP
In pictures: Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 crash Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 Flowers lie on the tarmac of Kharkiv airport as a Hercules transport aircraft, belonging to the Royal Dutch Airforce, prepares to take off
AFP
In pictures: Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 crash Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 Honour guards load a coffin of one of the victims of Malaysia Airlines MH17 downed over rebel-held territory in eastern Ukraine on to a transport plane heading to the Netherlands at Kharkiv airport
In pictures: Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 crash Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 A coffin containing the body of a victim of the crash of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 is loaded onto a plane for transport to the Netherlands during a departure ceremony in Kharkiv, Ukraine
In pictures: Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 crash Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 A coffin containing the body of a victim of the crash of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 is loaded onto a plane for transport to the Netherlands during a departure ceremony on July 23, 2014 in Kharkiv, Ukraine
In pictures: Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 crash Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 Honour guards take part in a ceremony with coffins of some of the victims of Malaysia Airlines MH17 downed over rebel-held territory in eastern Ukraine before they are being loaded on to a transport plane heading to the Netherlands at Kharkiv airport
In pictures: Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 crash Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 A coffin containing the body of a victim of the crash of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 is loaded onto a plane for transport to the Netherlands during a departure ceremony in Kharkiv, Ukraine
In pictures: Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 crash Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 Dutch flags fly half-staff in honour of 3 citizens, a mother,17 year old daughter and 13 year old son were among the victims of flight MH17 in Delft, Netherlands
In pictures: Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 crash Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 On-lookers during a ramp ceremony at Kharkiv Aiport
In pictures: Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 crash Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 A worker uses a forklift to load coffins containing some of the remains of the victims of Malaysia Airlines MH17 downed over rebel-held territory in eastern Ukraine on to a transport plane before they head to the Netherlands at Kharkiv airport
In pictures: Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 crash Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 People lay coffins containing some of the remains of the victims of Malaysia Airlines MH17 downed over rebel-held territory in eastern Ukraine on the tarmac before loading them on a transport plane heading towards the Netherlands at Kharkiv airport
In pictures: Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 crash Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 Ukrainian officials attend a farewell ceremony near the transport plane used to carry some of the remains of the victims of Malaysia Airlines MH17 downed over rebel-held territory in eastern Ukraine, before it heads off to the Netherlands at Kharkiv airport
In pictures: Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 crash Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 The train carrying the bodies recovered from the downed Malaysian flight MH17 arrives at the Malyshev Plant, in the government-held Ukrainian city of Kharkiv
In pictures: Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 crash Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 A Ukrainian policeman watches as a train carrying the remains of the victims of Malaysia Airlines MH17 downed over rebel-held territory in eastern Ukraine arrives in the city of Kharkiv in eastern Ukraine
In pictures: Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 crash Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 Police officers secure a refrigerated train loaded with bodies of the passengers of Malaysian Airlines flight MH17 as it arrives in a Kharkiv factory for a stop
In pictures: Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 crash Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 A guard stands on a train carrying the remains of victims of Malaysia Airlines MH17 downed over rebel-held territory in eastern Ukraine after it arrived in the city of Kharkiv, eastern Ukraine
In pictures: Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 crash Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 An armed pro-Russian separatist stands guard as monitors from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and a team of Malaysian air crash investigators inspect the crash site of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17, near the village of Hrabove (Grabovo), Donetsk region
In pictures: Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 crash Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 Malaysian experts check debris at the main crash site of the Boeing 777 Malaysia Airlines flight MH17, which crashed flying over the eastern Ukraine region, near Grabovo, some 100 km east from Donetsk
In pictures: Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 crash Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 Members of the Malaysia Special Disaster Assistance and Rescue Team, on hand to assist in the investigation into the crash of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17, wait near the gate of the Malyshev Factory, a state-owned producer of heavy machinery where a train transporting the victims was taken in Kharkiv, Ukraine
In pictures: Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 crash Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 Two black boxes recovered from the crash site of the MH17 jet being handed over to Malaysian officials during a press conference in Donetsk
In pictures: Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 crash Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 A Malaysian expert (L) examines a black box belonging to Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 during its handover from pro-Russian separatists, in Donetsk
In pictures: Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 crash Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 Aleksandr Borodai (C), self proclaimed Prime Minister of the self proclaimed 'Donetsk People's Republic', looks up after speaking at a news conference in which he he handed over the two black boxes of the crashed Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 to Colonel Mohamed Sakri (2-R) of the Malaysian National Security Council during a press conference organized in Donestk
In pictures: Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 crash Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 Donetsk People's Republic official (L) and Colonel Mohamed Sakri of the Malaysian National Security Council signing documents during the handing over to Malaysia of the two black boxes recovered from the crash site of the MH17 jet at a press conference in Donetsk
In pictures: Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 crash Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 Malaysian activist holds banners during a protest at the United Nations office in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
In pictures: Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 crash Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 Netherlands Foreign Minister Frans Timmermans speaks after a vote at the United Nations. With the backing of Russia, the UN Security Council unanimously condemned the downing of a Malaysian passenger jet and demanded crash site access in rebel-held east Ukraine. Timmermans who flew to New York to attend the Security Council session expressed outrage over the delays in securing the crash site
In pictures: Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 crash Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 A photo of Belgian national Benoit Chardome, one of the victims of the downed Malaysia Airlines jetliner, is seen during a ceremony in Berchem, Antwerp
In pictures: Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 crash Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 Mourners dressed in white leave flowers as they gather in remembrance of the owners of the Asian Glories restaurant, after they were killed in the Malaysia Airlines MH17 plane crash over eastern Ukraine, in Rotterdam, the Netherlands
In pictures: Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 crash Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 The Dutch government honors the victims of the MH17 plane crash in Ukraine with a full-page advertisement in Dutch newspapers, as seen here in Rijswijk, The Netherlands. The advertisement with the title 'Geschokt en verdrietig' (Shocked and sad) contains the 298 names of the victims
In pictures: Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 crash Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 A pair of clogs with a message for Dutch citizens killed on the Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 is seen in front of the Netherlands Embassy in Washington
In pictures: Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 crash Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 People surround a refrigerator wagon as monitors from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and members of a forensic team inspect the remains of victims from the downed Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17, at a railway station in the eastern Ukrainian town of Torez
In pictures: Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 crash Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 Monitors from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and members of a forensic team inspect a refrigerator wagon containing the remains of victims from the downed Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17, at a railway station in the eastern Ukrainian town of Torez
In pictures: Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 crash Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko (C) leaves the Netherlands embassy in Kiev after signing his condolences ceremony
In pictures: Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 crash Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 Pro-Russia rebels guard a train containing the bodies of victims of the Malaysia Airlines flight MH 17 crash in Torez, Ukraine
In pictures: Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 crash Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 Alexander Hug (L), Deputy Chief Monitor of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine, speaks to reporters after visiting a train containing the bodies of victims of the Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 crash in Torez, Ukraine
In pictures: Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 crash Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 Tirso Pabellon, brother of Irene Pabellon Gunawan, one of three Filipinos who perished in the Malaysia Airlines MH17 passenger plane crash over East Ukraine, leave the Department of Foreign Affairs after obtaining his passport at suburban Pasay city south of Manila, Philippines
In pictures: Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 crash Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 Bodies are removed from the site
AFP/Getty
In pictures: Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 crash Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 Members of the Ukrainian Emergencies Ministry gather the remains of victims at the crash site of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 near the village of Hrabove, Donetsk region
In pictures: Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 crash Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 Ukrainian workers handle debris at the main crash site of the Boeing 777 Malaysia Airlines flight MH17
In pictures: Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 crash Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 Mourners attend a memorial service held for a family of five killed in the flight MH17 disaster, in the suburb of Eynesbury in Melbourne, Australia
In pictures: Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 crash Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 Dutch King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima sign a condolence register at the Ministry of Safety and Justice in The Hague, the Netherlands
In pictures: Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 crash Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte signs a condolence register at the Ministry of Safety and Justice in The Hague, The Netherlands
In pictures: Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 crash Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 Malaysian youth gathers during a candlelight vigil for passengers and crew of the Malaysian Airline crash flight MH17 in Petaling Jaya, Malaysia
In pictures: Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 crash Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 Journalists look at debris from the Boeing 777 Malaysia Arilines flight MH17
In pictures: Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 crash Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 Pro-Russian separatists block the way to the crash site of MH17, near the village of Grabove
AFP/Getty
In pictures: Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 crash Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 Local people roam the wreck of MH17
AFP
In pictures: Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 crash Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 Men carry a stretcher with a bodybag at the crash site
EPA
In pictures: Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 crash Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 A local resident stands among the wreckage at the site of the crash
Getty Images
In pictures: Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 crash Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 Passengers' belongings lie at the site of the crash
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In pictures: Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 crash Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 Floral tributes are left at the gates of the Dutch Embassy in London and the Dutch flag flies half mast a day after a Malaysian airliner was brought down over Ukraine carrying over 170 Dutch passengers
REX
In pictures: Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 crash Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 A woman crosses herself as people lay flowers and light candles in front of the Embassy of the Netherlands in Kiev, to commemorate passengers of Malaysian Airlines flight MH17 carrying 295 people from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur which crashed in eastern Ukraine
In pictures: Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 crash Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 Personal belongings and luggage of passengers between debris of the Boeing 777, Malaysia Airlines flight MH17, which crashed during flying over the eastern Ukraine region near Donetsk
In pictures: Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 crash Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 Armed pro-Russian militants pass next to the wreckage of a Boeing 777, of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 debris, which crashed during flight over the eastern Ukraine region near Donetsk
In pictures: Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 crash Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 Members of the Ukrainian Emergency Ministry search for bodies near the site of Thursday's Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777 plane crash near the settlement of Grabovo, in the Donetsk region
In pictures: Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 crash Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 People search for bodies at the site of the crash of a Malaysian airliner near the town of Shaktarsk, in rebel-held east Ukraine
In pictures: Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 crash Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 A diver searches for a black box on the site of the crash of a Malaysian airliner near the town of Shaktarsk, in rebel-held east Ukraine
In pictures: Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 crash Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 Rescuers stand on the site of the crash of a Malaysian airliner near the town of Shaktarsk, in rebel-held east Ukraine
In pictures: Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 crash Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 Debris is seen at the site of Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777 plane crash near the settlement of Grabovo, in the Donetsk region
In pictures: Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 crash Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 Belongings of passengers on the site of the crash of the Malaysia Airlines near the town of Shaktarsk, in rebel-held east Ukraine
In pictures: Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 crash Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 A woman grieves for victims of the Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777 crash as she arrives to lay flowers at the the Dutch embassy in Moscow, Russia
In pictures: Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 crash Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 Relatives of a passenger who was on board Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur react over the news at Kuala Lumpur International Airport in Sepang
In pictures: Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 crash Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 Widi Yuliono a relative of John Paulisen, shows photographs of John Paulisen (Top-L), Yuli Hastini (Top-R), Arjuna Martin Paulisen (L) and Sri Paulisen (R) who are victims of the Malaysian Airline flight MH 17 plane disaster in eastern Ukraine, at his residence in Solo, Central Java, Indonesia
In pictures: Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 crash Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 People bring flowers and candles to the Dutch embassy to commemorate the victims of the Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777 plane crash in Kiev
In pictures: Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 crash Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 A young boy lights a candle in commemoration of the victims of Malaysia Airlines plane accident in eastern Ukraine in front of the Dutch embassy in Kiev
In pictures: Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 crash Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 A woman holding a sign that reads, "Putin is a murderer", lies down near flowers left by people to commemorate victims of the Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777 plane crash, at the Dutch embassy in Kiev
In pictures: Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 crash Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 A family member cries as she receives the news of the ill fated flight MH17 on the phone in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
In pictures: Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 crash Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 Family members of the crashed Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 cry at Kuala Lumpur International Airport in Sepang, Malaysia
In pictures: Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 crash Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 A firefighter sprays water to extinguish a fire, amongst the wreckages of the Malaysian airliner after it crashed, near the town of Shaktarsk, in rebel-held east Ukraine
In pictures: Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 crash Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 Flames and smoke amongst the wreckages of the Malaysian airliner near the town of Shaktarsk, in rebel-held east Ukraine
In pictures: Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 crash Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 A firefighter stands as flames burst amongst the wreckages of the Malaysian airliner near the town of Shaktarsk, in rebel-held east Ukraine
In pictures: Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 crash Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 Self-proclaimed Prime Minister of the pro-Russian separatist 'Donetsk People's Republic' Alexander Borodai (C) stands as he arrives on the site of the crash of a Malaysian airliner, near the town of Shaktarsk, in rebel-held east Ukraine
In pictures: Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 crash Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 Debris of the Boeing 777, Malaysia Arilines flight MH17, which crashed during flying over the eastern Ukraine region near Donetsk
In pictures: Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 crash Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 People walk amongst the debris, at the crash site of a passenger plane in Ukraine
AP
In pictures: Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 crash Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 The wreckages of the Malaysian airliner
Getty Images
In pictures: Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 crash Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 An armed pro-Russian separatist stands at a site of a Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777 plane crash in the settlement of Grabovo in the Donetsk region of Ukraine
Reuters
In pictures: Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 crash Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 People stand near part of the wreckage of a Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777 plane near Grabovo
Reuters
In pictures: Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 crash Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 Taken from an amateur video, smoke rises from a fireball seen in the distance shortly after a Malaysia Airlines passenger plane crash
AP
In pictures: Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 crash Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 A man works at putting out a fire at the site of the plane crash in the settlement of Grabovo in the Donetsk region of Ukraine
Reuters
In pictures: Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 crash Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 Smoke rises up at a crash site near the village of Grabovo
AP
In pictures: Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 crash Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 Smoke rises from the wreckage at the crash site near the settlement of Grabovo in the Donetsk region of Ukraine
Reuters
In pictures: Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 crash Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 A part of the wreckage of a Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777 plane is seen after it crashed near the settlement of Grabovo
Reuters
In pictures: Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 crash Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 Alleged image of smoke from the crash
In pictures: Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 crash Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 In a picture taken from a mobile phone smoke is seen rising from the crash site
AP/Andrei Kashtanov
In pictures: Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 crash Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 A general view of the crash site in the Grabovo settlement in the Donetsk region of Ukraine
Reuters
In pictures: Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 crash Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 Emergencies Ministry members work at the site of a Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777 plane crash in the settlement of Grabovo in the Donetsk region
Reuters
In pictures: Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 crash Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 takes off from Schiphol airport near Amsterdam
EPA
In pictures: Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 crash Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 Outgoing Belgian vice prime minister and foreign minister Didier Reynders makes a statement on the crash
AFP/Getty Images
In pictures: Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 crash Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 The upper floor of Schiphol Airport is closed for media and reserved for family and relatives of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17
Reuters
In pictures: Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 crash Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 A closed Malaysia Airlines counter at Schiphol airport near Amsterdam
EPA
In pictures: Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 crash Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 Airport security personnel look at the flight information board in the departure hall, at Kuala Lumpur International Airport, where flight MH17 was flying to
AP
The Ukrainian national security spokesman, Andriy Lysenko, said a “day of quiet” was declared today in response to a call for a cease-fire from UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon. “Ukraine has created all the conditions for the foreign experts to work,” he said, adding that separatists continued to block access to the site. Reporters near the crash site said that clashes were taking place in the vicinity.
Those who attempted to reach the site by another route were warned by local residents that some nearby roads have been “mined”. A mortar round landed near Hrabove, another village where fragments of the plane remain uncollected. A journalist for AFP news agency heard several “powerful” blasts and saw a plume of smoke less than six miles from the crash site.
Rebels deny they shot down flight MH17 by mistake. Russia has been accused of supplying the rebels with weaponry capable of bringing down a passenger jet. But it has suggested Kiev’s armed forces could have downed MH17, a claim rejected by the Ukrainian government. According to reports, rebels are due to meet a Ukrainian delegation today in Minsk as Belarus hosts talks involving Ukraine, Russia and the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE).
A monitoring mission from OSCE spent Wednesday and early Thursday exploring safe routes from their base in the rebel-held city of Donetsk. It remains unclear how many bodies remain at the site and what condition they are in after being exposed for so long to the elements.
But Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop, speaking to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation from Ukraine, said she has been informed up to 80 bodies were still on the site. A delegation from Russia’s state aviation body said it also hoped to visit the site.
Malaysia’s Prime Minister Najib Razak called on Ukrainian and pro-Russian separatists to agree to a lasting ceasefire around the crash site. Two weeks after the plane’s destruction on 17 July, he said: “The conflict in eastern Ukraine may not be easily resolved, but the people on board that plane had no part in it.”
Razak, who was speaking in a joint news conference with Dutch counterpart Mark Rutte in The Hague, was visiting the Netherlands to discuss repatriating Malaysian victims’ remains and the security situation in Ukraine. “We ask there be an immediate cessation of hostilities in and around the crash site by both Ukrainian and separatist forces,” said Mr Razak.
“We ask that all sides respect the lives lost and the integrity of the crash site so that the investigation may proceed.”
AP
Food fight: Russia targets McDonald’s
As relations between Russia and the West deteriorate, the fortunes of the US fast-food chain have become a proxy for the political situation.
The Russian consumer watchdog Rosselkhoznadzor announced it was investigating the contents of several McDonald’s menu items for questionable ingredients. Russia’s chief sanitary inspector Anna Popova told the Interfax news agency that authorities had identified violations which “put the product quality and safety of the entire McDonald’s chain in doubt”.
The investigation came as the US and EU expand economic sanctions over the Kremlin’s support for separatist rebels in Ukraine. Though the two are not explicitly connected, the Russian authorities have previously wielded foodstuffs as a political weapon, for instance banning the import of Georgian wine before the Russian-Georgian war in 2008.
In an escalation of what the Los Angeles Times dubbed “the undeclared war on the American cheeseburger”, the US’s third-largest chain Wendy’s announced it would abandon the Russian market.
McDonald’s has opened more than 400 branches in Russia since 1990, and the country is now one of the Golden Arches’ top seven global markets. McDonald’s said it had not been told of any claim against the company and insisted its food abided by regulations.
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