MH17 crash site no longer controlled by Pro-Russian rebels

Dutch and Australian investigators abandoned attempts reach crash site

Explosions in nearby Shakhtarsk forced them to turn back for second day
Fighting has intensified at both crash site and in the surrounding area
At least eight civilians killed by fighting in two rebel-held cities today alone
Government troops hoping to take back parts of east Ukraine from rebels
But rebels say offensive is to stop evidence implicating Kiev being found
By Will Stewart and John Hall
Published: 08:47 GMT, 28 July 2014 | Updated: 07:58 GMT, 29 July 2014
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Fighting has stopped an international police team from reaching the wreckage of a Malaysian
Airlines plane for a second day running, as pro-Russian rebels admit they have lost control of part of
the crash site.
A delegation of Australian and Dutch police and forensic experts stopped in Shakhtarsk, a town
around 20 miles from the fields where the aircraft was downed, amid sounds of explosions.
A high-rise apartment block in the town was hit by at least two rounds of artillery, according to
reports and dozens of families living in the area fled.
The development comes as UN human rights chief Navi Pillay said the downing of flight MH17 in
eastern Ukraine may constitute a 'war crime'.
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Not
safe: Members of the OECD (centre) and forensic investigation teams from the Netherlands (left)
and Australia (right) were forced to turn back from the MH17 crash site for the second day in a row
Talks:
A delegation of Australian (left) and Dutch (right) police and forensic experts stopped in Shakhtarsk,
a town around 20 miles from the fields where the aircraft was downed, amid sounds of explosions
Convoy: Forensic teams and international observers are pictured on their way to the MH17 crash
site. The team were forced to turn back a short time later amid sounds of explosions
Halt:
Pro-Russian militants block the road behind Dutch and Australian forensic teams as they make their
way to the crash site of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17
Fear:
Dutch and Australian forensic investigators turned back on their way to the MH17 crash site this
morning after 'explosions' were heard in the area
A
Ukrainian family leave their home after it was destroyed by shelling. They are seen walking past pro-
Russian militants, who this morning blocked access to the MH17 crash site once the forensic teams
passed through
Scared: People drive towards pro-Russian militants stationed near the MH17 crash site in a car
showing a sign reading 'children'. The sign was created in the hope it will prevent their vehicle being
fired upon
The mandate of the police team is to secure the currently rebel-controlled area so that
comprehensive investigations can begin and any remaining bodies can be recovered.
With government troops intensifying their push to claw back more territory from pro-Russian
separatist rebels, the death toll is mounting steadily.
Today rebels admitted they had lost control of part of the crash site to pro-Kiev forces.
United Nations figures show more than 1,100 people have died in just over four months of fighting.
Ukraine has accused rebels of tampering with evidence and trying to cover up their alleged role in
bringing the Malaysia Airlines plane down with an anti-aircraft missile.
Separatist officials have staunchly denied responsibility for shooting down the airliner and killing all
298 people on board.
News that investigators were unable to reach the crash site for a second day comes as the UN said it
was considering whether to classify the downing of MH17 as a war crime.
Human rights chief Navi Pillay spoke out to say taking down to plane with a surface to air missile
could constitute a war crime.

'The guns must go down!' Monitors turned back from MH17
War:
An armoured vehicle manned by pro-Russian rebels leaves Donetsk in the direction of the MH17
site. Fighting has forced investigators to abandon plans to secure the area, despite being considered
a crime scene
Hard
task ahead: A Dutch military police officer arrives at a hotel in Donetsk ahead of a renewed attempt
to access the MH17 crash site and collect evidence. Initial plans to secure the area have been
abandoned
Blast:
Flames are seen inside a destroyed home in Horlivka, eastern Ukraine. MH17 investigators say the
towns and villages around the crash site have erupted into intense violence in recent days
Conflict zone: An elderly resident of the east Ukrainian city of Lysychansk walks past pro-Kiev
service men. Fighting in the area intensified after government forces made fresh attempts to retake
territory from rebels
Destroyed: A man walks past a damaged house in Horlivka - about 30 miles from north west of the
MH17 crash site. The Ukrainian army is hoping to regain control of the town, which is considered a
separatist stronghold
Wrecked: A man stands in rubble of a damaged house in Horlivka. Separatist leader Alexander
Boroday accused president Petro Poroshenko of starting a new military offensive to hide the truth
about MH17
Deadly: Smoke is seen rising over rebel-held Donetsk overnight. Today alone, at least eight civilians
were killed by fighting and shelling in rebel-held cities in eastern Ukraine - three of them in Donetsk
A Ukrainian security spokesman said data from the recovered flight recorders shows Malaysia
Airlines Flight 17 crashed due to a massive, explosive loss of pressure after being punctured
multiple times by shrapnel.
Andrei Lysenko said the plane suffered 'massive explosive decompression' after it was hit by
fragments he said came from a missile.
The data recorders were sent to UK experts for examination.
In their campaign to take control over more territory from separatist forces, Ukraine's army has
deployed a growing amount of heavy weaponry.
Rebels have also been able to secure large quantities of powerful weapons, much of which the
United States and Ukraine maintain is being supplied by Russia.
Moscow denies the claims.
The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights said in a report that at least 1,129 people have been
killed between mid-April, when fighting began, and July 26.
The report said at least 3,442 people had been wounded and more than 100,000 people had left their
homes. A UN report from mid-June put the death toll at 356.

U.S., Europe to issue new sanctions on Russia this week

Australian investigators abandon attempts to reach MH17 site
Carnage: Australia's deputy police commissioner warned that the crash site is a 'highly volatile area'
and that the purpose of their visit is to conduct a detailed examination of the area
Tragic: The news comes as UN human rights chief Navi Pillay said the downing of flight MH17 in
eastern Ukraine may constitute a 'war crime
Grief:
Travellers view the thousands of floral tributes placed in memory of the victims of MH17 at Schiphol
Airport. The doomed Malaysian Airlines flight took off from the Amsterdam airport en route to Kuala
Lumpur
At least eight civilians were killed by fighting and shelling in two cities held by separatist militants
overnight, officials in the region said today
Authorities in Luhansk said that five people were killed and 15 injured by overnight artillery strikes.
Three were killed in Donetsk as a result of clashes.
Rebel leader Alexander Boroday accused Ukrainian president Petro Poroshenko of starting a new
military offensive to hide the truth about the downing of MH17.
Intensified combat operations 'are irrefutable evidence proving that Kiev is seeking to destroy all
evidence of the crime committed by its military,' he alleged.
'The junta is in panic, the only thing that matters for them today is to evade exposure.
'Kiev's actions run counter to Poroshenko's decision to declare a 40-kilometre zone around the crash
site a ceasefire territory.'
Ukrainian military analyst Dmitry Tymchuk today alleged that rebels were sneaking back dressed as
civilians into areas 'liberated' by the Ukrainian army.
'The activity of the enemy's sabotage groups is high,' he said.
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