Anything to confess, Putin? Russian president pictured in church as world leaders warn 'you can't wash your hands of MH17 responsibility'
Russian president Vladimir Putin was at the centre of a diplomatic storm today as accusations mounted that his regime armed pro-Russian rebels in Ukraine who shot down a passenger jet, killing 298 people.
Malaysia Airlines flight MH17, was headed to Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur when it was hit by a surface-to-air missile above the rebel-controlled east of Ukraine, near Donetsk.
Putin, pictured yesterday at a religious ceremony near Moscow, was accused of 'facilitating' the deaths, and was warned not to 'wash his hands' of the disaster. He also also suffered furious accusations that Russia and the rebels are interfering with the crash site and trying to destroy evidence
Behind it all? Vladimir Putin, pictured with
Orthodox church Patriarch Kirill at a religious celebration yesterday,
is under international pressure
Accused: President Putin is pictured above at a monastery near Moscow yesterday
Time to confess: Putin was pictured crossing
himself yesterday at the ceremony as he was accused by leaders from
around the world
An
international chorus of condemnation is intensifying upon Russian
President Vladimir Putin, who has been accused of arming Ukrainian
rebels whom it is widely believed used a surface-to-air missile to shoot
down the plane.
Amid growing
evidence that the flight was hit by a sophisticated surface-to-air
missile, launched from areas controlled by pro-Russian rebels in the
separatist eastern regions of Ukraine, fingers have increasingly been
pointed at Russian president Vladimir Putin, who denies involvement.
Russian
authorities were put under increasing pressure after U.S. President
Barack Obama, international delegates to the U.N. and an outraged
Australian prime minister all spoke out against Putin’s regime.
Mr
Obama said U.S. intelligence confirmed that a surface-to-air missile
was responsible, and described the attack as an 'outrage of unspeakable
proportions.'
He also said the insurgents would not be capable of carrying out such an attack without Putin’s support.
He
said: ‘We know that they are heavily armed and they are trained, and we
know that that's not an accident. That is happening because of Russian
support.’
This
afternoon UK Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond also spoke out against
Putin, warning that that 'the world's eyes are on Russia' and expressed
his frustration with the Kremlin after chairing a high-level meeting in
Whitehall.
He
said: 'We're not getting enough support from the Russians, we're not
seeing Russia using their influence effectively enough to get the
separatists, who are in control of the site, to allow the access that we
need. This has brought the whole international community together.
Sorting: Bodies today began to be piled up at the crash site near Donetsk, eastern Ukraine
Amassing: Ukrainian emergency workers have been
allowed onto the site to sort through bodies - though wider access has
not been granted
Carried out: The men worked their way through
the crash site amid huge chunks of metal. Sticks tied off with white
cloth are used to mark the location of bodies
Crash site: Rebels are pictured above at the crash site yesterday holding up a toy found in the wreckage
Yesterday U.S. ambassador Samantha Power told an emergency meeting of the U.N.
Security Council on Friday that responsibility is ‘clearly’ with the
Russians for arming the rebels.
She said:
‘It is clear where responsibility lies: with the senseless violence of
armed separatists and with those who have supported, equipped and
advised them.
‘The
council must be united in condemning these actions, and in demanding
that these groups disarm, desist from violence and intimidation and
engage in dialogue through the democratic mechanisms that are available
to them.’
‘Separatists
initially claimed responsibility for shooting down a military transport
plane, and claimed responsibility and posted videos that are now being
connected to the Malaysia Airlines crash,’ Ms Power said.
‘Separatist leaders also boasted on social media about shooting down a plane, but later deleted these messages.’
‘Because
of the technical complexity of the SA-11, it is unlikely that the
separatists could effectively operate the system without assistance from
knowledgeable personnel. Thus, we cannot rule out technical assistance
from Russian personnel in operating the systems.’
Yesterday
the Australian prime minister Tony Abbott said that Russia cannot ‘wash
its hands’ of the 28 Australian deaths in the attack.
He
said: ‘This is a problem - a very serious problem. Australia takes a
very dim view of countries which facilitate the killing of Australians.
Disaster scene: Ukrainian locals were seen this morning walking among the wreckage at the crash site in Grabova
Destruction: A Ukrainian woman looks over a lump
of fuselage, to which international investigators say they have not
been given proper access
Belongings: Luggage carried on board by the 298 victims has seemingly been heaped up at the crash site
Rescue: Ukrainian workers began to carry away the bodies of victims, two days after MH17 crashed
Fraught: A rebel soldier looks on as rescuers
carry past a victim's body. Separately, the Ukrainian government has
accused rebels of removing bodies to cover up evidence
'Moving bodies': A rebel commander, left, is
pictured above trying to hold back journalists from the crash site.
Ukraine has accused them of taking away bodies
Armed: Footage showed the commander threatening journalists at the site, access to which has been contentious
'The government of Ukraine officially states that the terrorists, with the help of Russia, are trying to destroy evidence of international crimes,' a statement said.
'According to government data, the terrorists have taken 38 bodies to the morgue in Donetsk,' it said, accusing specialists with 'strong Russian accents' of threatening to carry out their own autopsies. It also said rebels were 'seeking large transports to carry away plane fragments to Russia'.
The Dutch foreign minister Frans Timmermans today said that his country was 'angry, furious' at news bodies were being moved.
He said: 'We are already shocked by the news we got today of bodies being dragged around, of the site not being treated properly ... People are angry, furious.'
In a meeting with the Ukrainian president Petro Poroshenko, he said: 'Once we have the proof, we will not stop before the people are brought to justice. Not just the people who pulled the trigger but also those who made it possible. I think the international community needs to step up its efforts in this respect.'
Rescue workers have been allowed on to the site, Ukraine said, and have found 186 of the 298 bodies - but have been stopped from taking anything away.
A government spokesman said: 'At 7 a.m. on July 19, 186 bodies have been found. The area that needs to be checked stands at 25 square km. Eighteen square km have already been checked.'
'The
fighters have allowed Emergencies Ministry workers in there, but they
do not allow them to take anything from the area. The fighters are
taking away all that has been found.'
'Killer': A woman lies at the centre of a protest in Kiev holding a sign saying 'Putin: Killer'
'Terrorussian': Meanwhile Ukrainians who live in Australia called for sanctions against Putin's regime over the attack
'Wanted': A woman pictured above in Australia,
where in November the leader is due to be hosted at a G20 summit, calls
for his removal and accuses him of murder
Chunks and bits: Search and rescue team search for human remains amongst the fragmented wreckage
All that remains: A part of plane is seen lying in a wheat field after the devastating missile strike
Another
controversy emerged at the site today as international investigators
claim drunk rebels stopped them getting full access to the evidence.
Staff from Europe's OSCE security body visited the site but complained that they did not get the full access they wanted.
‘We
encountered armed personnel who acted in a very impolite and
unprofessional manner. Some of them even looked slightly intoxicated,’ a
spokesman said.
Yesterday
another OSCE expert told CNN that it seemed as if nobody was in control
of the site. Michael Bociurkiw, said: 'It basically looks like the
biggest crime scene in the world right now, guarded by a bunch of guys
in uniform with heavy firepower who are quite inhospitable.
'And
there didn't seem to be anyone really in control, for example. One of
our top priorities was to find out what happened to the black boxes. No
one was there to answer those questions.' Ukraine's government today
also issued a statement complaining rebels had not handed over the black
boxes.
Describing
the site today, the spokesman said: 'Some of the body bags are open and
the damage to the corpses is very, very bad. It is very difficult to
look at.'
He
confirmed that the 24-member delegation was given further access to the
crash site today but their movements were being limited by the rebels.
The site sprawls eight square miles across sunflower and wheat fields
between two villages in eastern Ukraine.
He
said: 'We have to be very careful with our movements because of all the
security. We are unarmed civilians, so we are not in a position to
argue with people with heavy arms.'
Footage was also aired today which showed a rebel commander threatening journalists at the site and telling them to turn back.
Toys in a field: Passengers' belongings,
including stuffed animals, are pictured at the crash site of Malaysia
Airlines flight MH17 before a visit by Organization for Security and
Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) monitors, near the settlement of Grabovo
It
came as it was revealed that MH17 had dipped 2,000ft before it was hit
by the missile. But Malyasia Airline officials said the flight crew were
not at fault - an area control tower ordered the plane to fly at a
lower altitude because of other traffic in the region.
‘We
have to obey the control tower,’ said Captain Izham Ismail, director of
operations at Malaysia Airlines System. While the new flying level
brought the aircraft closer to the launching pad of the BUK rocket that
was aimed at it, the difference in the altitudes had no effect on the
outcome, as the weapon can hit a target at 75,000ft.
Transport
Minister Mr Liow Tiong Lai, who announced that he would be flying to
Kiev later in the day to join a Malaysian team that was hoping to obtain
permission to go into the crash site, repeated what other world leaders
have demanded - that the area where the wreckage and bodies are
scattered is not compromised.
'Interfering
with the scene of the crash would undermine the investigation itself.
Any action that prevents us from learning the truth about what happened
to MH17 cannot be tolerated. Such interference would be a betrayal of
the lives that were lost.'
The
disputes over the crash site came as the eighth Briton on board the
plane, of a total ten, was named as Robert Ayley, originally from
Surrey.
The
father of two, 28, lived in New Zealand but was originally from
Guildford, and was on his way home to his wife Sharlene and two young
sons.
His eventual destination was Wellington, where he was due to return after a month-long working trip to Europe.
In
a statement his family said they were 'desperately sad' to confirm that
Mr Ayley had been a passenger on Malaysia Airlines flight MH17.
The
dog breeder had travelled to Europe with a friend to visit Rottweiler
breeders with the hope of growing his programme in New Zealand.
His
family released a statement saying: 'Rob was always passionate about
life, there were no half measures. He was passionate about his family
too.'
The final victims were named later this afternoon as John Allen and Andrew Hoare.
Headed home: Robert Ayley, 28, was coming back from Europe to New Zealand to his family. He is pictured with his wife Sharlene
Grief: Meanwhile mourners around the world
continued to hope for more information on their loved ones. Pictured is a
relative of a passenger being comforted in Malaysia
Raids: Looters have been raiding the
personal belongings and luggage of MH17 passengers strewn across the
crash site in eastern Ukraine, officials claim
Search: Teams are now wading through
pieces of wreckage of the Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 in Shaktarsk to
retrieve remains and belongings
Out of the blue: A Ukrainian covers a body with a
plastic sheet in a field. Malaysia's prime minister said there was no
distress call before the plane went down and that the flight route was
declared safe by the International Civil Aviation Organisation
Precious mementos: A little girl's pink suitcase
containing books and a lunchbox decorated with the picture of Minnie
Mouse is seen among a pile of luggage from the downed jet
A pro-Russian militant passes by the
wreckage of MH17, which crash on Thursday afternoon after taking off
from Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam
At the crash site makeshift white flags have been placed to mark where bodies lay in corn fields and among the debris.
Others,
stripped bare by the force of the crash, had been covered by polythene
sheeting weighed down by stones, one marked with a red rose in
remembrance.
‘The
plane broke up in the air, and the parts and human bodies are lying
within a three kilometer area,’ said a post by Vsevolod Petrovsky after
visiting the scene.
‘One
body broke a hole in the thin roof of summer terrace in a private
house. I got out of the car and immediately saw the naked body of a
woman, covered by some leaves.
‘There
were many bodies without clothes around. Probably, their clothing was
torn away after the loss of pressurization. Horrible.
‘I
go further and see a hill made of the cockpit parts. The area is lit.
The pilot's body is in this seat, with seat belt fastened, he is dressed
in his clothes.
‘Among
the plane parts there were many parcels. Letters tied with a rope,
books, old vinyl records, somebody's shoes. Children's caps with the
Dutch national flag colors. Amazingly, almost all of these things are
not destroyed.
‘There was no fire in this part of the plane. The fire was in the back part which is lying not far from Grabovo village.’
Anton Gerashchenko, an adviser to the Kiev government, said: 'I have received information that terrorist death-hunters were collecting not only cash and jewelery of the crashed Boeing dead passengers but also the credit cards of the victims.
Currently, they might as well try to use them in Ukraine or pass them on to Russia.
'My humble request to the relatives of the victims to freeze their credit cards, so that they won't lose their assets to terrorists.'
There were also claims today that British victim John Alder, a 63-year-old Newcastle United fan on his way to see the team play in New Zealand, had his case looted. A freelance journalist on the scene said that he saw rebels take a pair of binoculars from his suitcase, then throw them away when they discovered they were broken.
Last night Downing Street supported the claims with a statement to say it appears 'increasingly likely that MH-17 was shot down by a separatist missile' fired from near Torez, an area controlled by pro-Russian rebels.
The huge crash site reportedly still smelled of jet fuel on Friday, with personal belongings scattered far and wide.
They
included a pink children’s book, stickers, Children’s playing cards,
slippers, cologne and a bicycle, seemingly undamaged, according to The New York Times.
Many belongings were completely undamaged, with T-shirts, suitcase
Aircraft
and helicopter parts as well as dogs and pigeons were among the items
being carried on the downed plane, according to the manifest.
As well as the dogs, the manifest lists other live birds as well as textiles, diplomatic mail and fresh-cut flowers.
A local farmer said: ‘I was herding my cows and heard a buzzing noise.
‘I
lay on the ground and thinking only that it would not hit me and my
cows. Then I looked and saw that something turns sharply and two big
wings were flying. Bang. And something explodes. It came from eastern
side, from the side of Sokholikha mountain.’
David
Cameron has insisted that those responsible for the apparent shooting
down of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 must be 'brought to account' amid
deepening tensions with Russia.
The
prime minister described the catastrophe, in which nine Britons died,
as an 'absolutely appalling, shocking, horrific incident' that 'cannot
be allowed to stand'.
German
Chancellor Angela Merkel, in an initial response, said it was too early
to decide on further sanctions before it was known exactly what had
happened to the plane.
The response came as the United Nations
Security Council approved a statement calling for a 'full, thorough and
independent international investigation' into the crash.
The
Ukrainian government has blamed rebels using Russian-supplied
surface-to-air missiles for the tragedy, while the Kremlin has accused
Kiev of failing to agree a ceasefire.
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