Thursday, July 17
DPR authorities say they will create headquarters to investigate the crash of the Boeing 777 that will also handle and coordinate work with relevant international organizations and work with the victims' relatives, DPR's Minister Alexander Boroday told Itar-tass.
President Barack Obama held consultations with the administration's national security team over the US response to the shooting down of flight MH17.
The White House announced that Obama held separate calls with Secretary of State John Kerry and senior security officials, including CIA Director John Brennan, White House Chief of Staff Denis McDonough and deputy national security adviser Lisa Monaco.
"The President was briefed on our ongoing efforts to support the Ukrainian government and a prompt international investigation into what took place," the White House said. "The President directed his national security team to continue offering whatever assistance is necessary to advance the international effort to determine what happened."
Deputy for the Interstate Aviation Committee (IAC) that oversees the use and management of civil aviation in the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), Sergey Zayko told RT the "investigation has to be conducted strictly based on the rules of International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO)."
"Considering the severity of the situation at the Malayan Airlines Boeing 777 crash site, we believe that it is necessary to form an international investigation committee into the tragedy that could be formed under an ICAO umbrella," Zayko said, adding that the black boxes of the plane should be handled by this commission under strict control of the international organization.
Shortly before boarding Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17, a Dutchman, Cor Pan heading for Kuala Lumpur from Amsterdam with his girlfriend paused to take a picture of the Boeing 777-200, posting it on Facebook with a scary description, "If the plane disappears, this is what it looks like."
Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott called the downing of a Malaysian airliner an "unspeakable crime" as he called for justice, for all those that died onboard including at least 27 Australians.
"If it does turn out that this aircraft was brought down by a surface to air missile, there is no doubt that this would be, under those circumstances, an unspeakable crime and the perpetrators should swiftly be brought to justice," Abbott said.
The death toll in the crash has been updated to 298 passengers.
"There were 283 passengers and 15 crew members on board the plane," Malaysian Airlines vice president Huib Gorter told reporters at a press conference at Amsterdam's Schiphol airport from where the doomed flight had taken off.
The Ukrainian authorities have released what they claim to be an intercepted communication recording between members of the Donetsk self-defense forces, allegedly saying that the plane that was shot down was a civilian aircraft.
US President Barack Obama in a telephone call with Ukraine President Petro Poroshenko stressed that all material evidence from the Malaysian Boeing 777 tragedy must remain in Ukraine for investigators to see.
"The presidents emphasized that all evidence from the crash site must remain in place on the territory of Ukraine until international investigators are able to examine all aspects of the tragedy," the White House said.
"President Poroshenko welcomed the assistance of international investigators to ensure a thorough and transparent investigation of the crash site," the statement said, highlighting the US has offered its assistance into investigating the tragedy.
A search operation at the site of the Malaysia Airlines plane crash will be carried out throughout the night, the state emergency service in the Donetsk region reported.
"The sites where the pilots cabin and large parts of fuselage crashed are being illuminated. Material evidence is being collected there," the emergency service office said, adding that forensic scientists from Donetsk are expected to arrive at the site on Friday morning.
There have been previous reports that self-defense forces from the region found objects resembling the flight data recorders, according to Interfax agency.
People are flocking to the Dutch embassy in Kiev to show their their support and condolences to the families of the victims of the crash.
The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry has established an operational headquarters to communicate with the victims' families of the Malaysian airlines crash. The press service of the Foreign Ministry will also "coordinate the work with the diplomatic missions of other countries." Staff offices have also been created at the Ukrainian Embassy in Malaysia and the Netherlands.
RT's Spanish correspondent, Francisco Guaita who is now at the crash scene in Donetsk region says the situation on the ground is "very complicated," with aircraft parts spread around. Guaita says that after talking to firefighters, no bodies were found by them, but they said the death toll was close to 300 people.
Malaysia Airlines plane crash was "not an accident," as the jet was "blown out of the sky," US Vice President Joe Biden commented at a conference in Detroit on Thursday.
Biden added that "we don't have all the detail yet," but said "there may have been American citizens on board."
Responsibility for investigating the circumstances of the Boeing 777 crash in the Donetsk region, lies on the Ukrainian side, Sergey Zayko, Deputy for the Interstate Aviation Committee (IAC) told Channel One.
"The responsibility for the accident investigation rests with the State on whose territory the accident happened."
Responding to a question on whether the IAC take part in the investigation of the tragedy, he explained that this "should be a decision on the formation of a commission to investigate the incident with the determination of all parties, states and international organizations," said the deputy head of the committee. "So far no such decision has been made."
Huib Gorter, a senior vice-president of Malaysia Airlines, released a partial list of the nationalities of the plane's passengers:
| Netherlands | 154 |
| Australia | 27 |
| Malaysia | 23 |
| United States | 23 |
| Unknown | 20 |
| Indonesia | 11 |
| United Kingdom | 6 |
| Belgium | 4 |
| France | 4 |
| Germany | 4 |
| Philippines | 3 |
| Canada | 1 |
| Total | 280 |
RT's Irina Galushko reports there were at least 82 children on board, though that number may be as high as 100. The 15-person crew was Malaysian, the airline said.
Vladimir Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov told the Guardian that any allegations of Russian involvement in shooting down the Malaysian Boeing 777 is "stupidity", as he claimed that Russia will not make a further statement on the tragedy because "no one knows" who is responsible for the tragedy. Asked about the possibility of further US sanctions in light of this, Peskov said he could not rule it out: "The United States has recently been conducting a very non-constructive policy, and their actions are very unpredictable," he said.
The Russian air defense systems were not deployed on Thursday near the Ukrainian border and no Russian air-force planes were flying over the area, the Russian Defense Ministry says, claiming that this can be independently confirmed.
"On July 17 air defense system of the the Russian Federation in the area did not activate. Russian Air Force planes were not performing flights over Russian regions bordering Donetsk region," the statement says.
Instead the ministry says that 27 "Buk M1" launchers are deployed by the Ukrainian forces in the Donetsk region, with the capabilities to shoot down targets at an altitude of more than 30km. The Russian Ministry also said that Ukrainian fighter jets are constantly patrolling the skies over Donetsk.
Kiev statements that Ukraine's forces did not fire over its airspace raise serious doubts, the Russian Ministry of Defense says.
"In such a short time with fierce fighting in the area it is impossible to come to such an unequivocal conclusion. Such responsible statements that involve serious legal consequences, require a comprehensive investigation," stressed in the Russian Defense Ministry, calling for an international investigation.
Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak announced Thursday his country is sending emergency personnel to Ukraine to take part in the investigation into the MH17 crash. "Ukrainian authorities believe that the plane was shot down. At this stage, however, Malaysia is unable to verify the cause of this tragedy," he said at a press conference.
Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko confirmed to the Malaysian PM that "his government will negotiate with rebels in the east of the country to establish a humanitarian corridor to the crash site."
"This is a tragic day in what has already been a tragic year in Malaysia. Our thoughts and prayers are with the family and friends of those on board the flight," Razak said at the end. "The flight passengers and crew came from many different countries... but we are all united in grief."
Russian President Putin believes Ukraine responsible for Malaysian airliner tragedy.
"Obviously, the state over whose territory it happened bears responsibility for this terrible tragedy," said the head of the Russian state at a meeting on economic issues, which he proposed to start with a minute of silence in memory of the victims of the disaster.
"This tragedy would not have happened if there was peace on this land, if military action in the southeast of Ukraine had not been resumed," Putin said, adding that he has asked the appropriate Russian authorities to do everything to investigate the matter.
"We must do everything in our power that an objective picture of what happened goes public in our community, in Ukraine and all over the world," Putin said as he expressed his condolences to the families of victims.
The Russian Health Ministry says it's ready to provide any assistance to its Ukrainian colleagues in forensic tests of the plane crash victims, the Ministry press-secretary said. He added that so far no such requests have been received.
The Russian Defense Ministry says the Malaysian Airliner was flying outside the air defense capabilities of Russia.
The UN Security Council plans to hold an emergency meeting over the shooting down of Malaysian airliner in Ukraine, and the deteriorating situation in the country. The meeting was called in by the UK, Itar-tass reports.
DNR authorities announced that they are planning to conclude a humanitarian truce with Kiev to investigate the crash of a Malaysian airliner Boeing 777, the Prime Minister of the self-proclaimed republic Alexander Boroday said, Ria Novosti reports.
"We are in a videoconference … with the authorities in Kiev. We will allow international organizations to get here," said Boroday. According to him, if the truce is signed, it will last for two or three days. He added that the incident looks like a provocation.
Ukraine's state security chief accused two Russian military intelligence officers of involvement in the downing of a Malaysian passenger plane on Thursday. The SBU chief Valentin Nalivaychenko added they must be punished for their "crime."
The Ukrainian official said he based his allegation on intercepts of phone conversations between the two officers.
US intelligence officials told the Wall Street Journal a surface-to-air missile hit MH17. However, the unnamed intelligence source says that it's not clear where the missile came from or who fired it.
Airlines in the US have agreed to avoid flying in the airspace near the border of Russia and Ukraine, the Office for Civil Aviation (FAA) reported. This agreement was reached on a voluntary basis, the agency said. FAA added it will monitor the situation to determine whether additional recommendations for airlines in connection with the crash in Ukraine are needed.
The Lugansk People's Republic press service has announced that OSCE representatives in the area have set off for the crash site, to monitor the investigation.
NATO's chief Anders Fogh Rasmussen has urged an immediate international investigation into the crash of the Malaysia Airlines MH17 plane in Eastern Ukraine, RIA-Novosti news agency reports.
The plane was being guided by Ukrainian air traffic controllers before it disappeared off the radars, a Russian aviation representative told Rossiya-24 news channel.
The EU has said it is "shocked" by the crash, and called for all sides to determine who is behind it.
"We call for an immediate and thorough investigation into the causes of the crash. The facts and responsibilities need to be established as quickly as possible. The European Union will continue to follow this issue very closely," said an official communiqué published by Brussels.
Donetsk People's Republic Prime Minister Aleksandr Boroday has called for a humanitarian ceasefire for 2 to 3 days to investigate the causes of the MH17 crash, RIA news agency reports.
Boroday earlier accused Kiev of shooting down the plane to frame local militias.
Civilian airspace over eastern Ukraine has been closed until further notice, continental air traffic regulator Eurocontrol has announced.
The body confirmed Ukrainian information that the traffic corridor in which the plane was brought down had been closed off at low altitudes, but open at above 10,000, where the plane was flying.
There were at least 71 Dutch citizens aboard the crashed plane, Germany's RTL channel has reported. Previous unconfirmed reports suggested that there were also 23 passengers with US identification and 9 Brits on the flight. French authorities have confirmed that four of their citizens died in the crash.
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has cleared up the confusion about whether the space in which MH17 was open to civilian planes.
"Based on the information currently available it is believed that the airspace that the aircraft was traversing was not subject to restrictions," said a statement on the IATA website.
It is not unusual for civilian planes to fly over warzones, providing that they remain at an altitude at which they are unlikely to be hit by the weapons used in the conflict.
Russia's Ministry of Emergencies has lodged an official request with the Ukrainian authorities to send its staff to work alongside local emergency workers around the crash site.
US President Barack Obama began a prescheduled address on infrastructure in Wilmington, Delaware Thursday afternoon by remarking briefly what he called a "terrible tragedy" in eastern Ukraine.
"Right now we are working to determine whether there were American citizens on board. That is our first priority," said the president.
Additionally, Obama said he's directed his national security team to reach out to the Ukrainian government, and said the US "will offer any assistance we can to help determine what happened and why."
Unverified reports have suggested that 23 Americans may have been onboard the plane, but US State Dept. spokesperson Jen Psaki said earlier in the afternoon that American authorities are still investigating those claims.
The self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic, which controls the area around the crash site, says that it will pass the flight recorders of the downed plane to Russian authorities.
"In Moscow, they have high-class experts, and they will be able to determine the cause of the crash, though it seems obvious enough anyway," said vice-premier Andrey Purgin.
Malasyan airliner was flying normally without problems until it disappeared from radar, Reuters reported siting the head of Ukrainian airspace regulatory body.
Britain's United Nations envoy Mark Lyall Grant has called on the UN Security Council to schedule an extraordinary meeting to consider the implications of the Malaysia Airlines plane crash. The UNSC is already in session in New York, holding discussions about North Korea.
RT has obtained a video of the purported crash site from an eyewitness.
Ukraine's TSN channel has reported that 23 US citizens were onboard the plane.
A source within the Russian air traffic agency has told ITAR-TASS that Ukraine's security agency decided to close the airspace above the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Lugansk republics three days ago, contradicting Ukrainian sources, who claim that the air corridor in which they plane was likely shot down, was still open.
Virgin, Transaero and Lufthansa are among a flood of airlines announcing that they will be rerouting all of their flights away from the conflict zone in eastern Ukraine. The US FAA advised American companies to avoid the area as far back as April.
Meanwhile, Ukraine's navigation service has told Russia's RIA news agency that the air corridor above 9,600 meters was open to civilian flights. The plane was reportedly at an altitude of 10,600 when ground control lost contact.
Vladimir Putin has expressed his "sincere condolences" to Malaysian Prime Minister Najob Razak, the Kremlin press service reports.
The Twitter of the Malaysian Defense Minister says that it doesn't yet know whether plane was downed, but had started an investigation.
Vladimir Putin informed Barack Obama about the crash immediately by phone, on the basis of air controller data, but so far neither the Kremlin nor the White House have commented on whether the Boeing-777 was downed.
The plane disappeared off the radars at about 13.20 GMT, about 10 minutes before it was due to leave Ukrainian airspace, a source in the Russian aviation industry has told Moscow-based RIA news agency.
Ukrainian president, Petro Poroshenko, has rejected any involvement of the Ukrainian armed forces in the crash of the Malaysian jet, Interfax news agency reports.
According to AirlineReporter website, the tail number of the crashed Malaysian plane is reported to be 9M-MRD. It was operating as flight 17. The Boeing 777-200ER was delivered to Malaysia Airlines in 1997.
The Donetsk People's Republic – where heavy fighting continues between Kiev and opposition – has denied reports in the Western media which claim that the Malaysian plane was shot down.
The local self-defense forces aren't in possession of military equipment capable of bringing the jet down, they explained.
Residents have reported about finding debris from a plane, which they say could belong to the Malaysian Boeing. They also said no bodies have been seen, RIA Novosti reports.
Malaysia Airlines has confirmed that it has lost contact with the plane when it was flying over Ukrainian soil.
The Malaysian aircraft "crashed 60km away from the [Russia-Ukraine] border, the plane had an emergency beacon," ITAR-TASS is citing its source in Russian aviation industry.
The picture allegedly shows the crashed Malaysian plane departing from Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport.
The Ukrainian military has confirmed that a Malaysian plane has crashed in east of the country.
All 285 passengers and 15 crew members have died in the crash, an adviser to the head of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine Anton Geraschenko said.
A Malaysian Airlines' Boeing-777 has crashed in Eastern Ukraine, close to the border with Russia.
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