Here are some more details from our news desk on Kyiv's claims that separatists are attempting to destroy evidence at the MH17 crash site:
Ukraine’s government says pro-Russian rebels – "with the help of Russia" -- are trying to destroy evidence at the crash site of a Malaysian passenger jet that was shot down on July 17 while flying over separatist-controlled eastern Ukraine -- killing all 298 people aboard.
A government statement today "officially states that the terrorists, with the help of Russia, are trying to destroy evidence of international crimes."
The statement also said separatists removed 38 bodies and placed them in a morgue in Donetsk, where it said specialists with "strong Russian accents" threatened to carry out their own autopsies.
Separatist leaders have promised access to inspectors from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE).
But separatist fighters blocked an OSCE team on July 18 and were continuing to prevent the experts from inspecting the site on July 19.
(Reuters, AP, and AFP)
Jewelry, credit cards and money looted from #MH17 crash site, Ukraine blames rebels. http://t.co/pnotyDOm1u
— CNN International (@cnni) July 19, 2014
At #MH17 site. Separatists standing guard, limiting access. Ukr emergency services handling bodies, taking to morgue. pic.twitter.com/fatS8M9435
— Christopher Miller (@ChristopherJM) July 19, 2014
!!!BREAKING NEWS!!!
Ukraine’s government has accused pro-Russian rebels of trying to destroy evidence at the crash site of a Malaysia Airlines passenger jet that was shot down on July 17 while flying over separatist-controlled eastern Ukraine. (Reuters, AFP)
More to follow
#MH17 Just watching investigators and stretcher team move into cornfield
— Fergal Keane (@fergalkeane47) July 19, 2014
#Ukraine PM says no deal exists for investigator safe secure access to #MH17 crash site - accuses "terrorists" of hiding 38 victims bodies
— Nic Robertson (@NicRobertsonCNN) July 19, 2014
From here, in this harvested wheat field, I counted 22 fragments of #MH17 debris with the naked eye in 10 seconds. pic.twitter.com/z7p39OiJD0
— Kevin Bishop (@bishopk) July 19, 2014
Good morning. We'll start the live blog today with a few tweets from Der Spiegel's Mathieu von Rohr looking at some of the latest British and French press reaction to MH17:
The Daily Telegraph front page: "Russian gangsters killed our loved ones, say British families" #MH17 pic.twitter.com/YZ7HExiA53
— Mathieu von Rohr (@mathieuvonrohr) July 19, 2014
"Putin's victims". Daily Mirror front page. #MH17 pic.twitter.com/n1tAZ66slm
— Mathieu von Rohr (@mathieuvonrohr) July 19, 2014
Libération front page shows Putin and the headline "Accused" #MH17 pic.twitter.com/TxKWfmluZS
— Mathieu von Rohr (@mathieuvonrohr) July 19, 2014
We are now closing our live blog for today. Don't forget that you can keep abreast of all our Ukraine coverage here.
OSCE on #MH17 crash site: bodies lying everywhere decomposed, some burnt, others mangled together. Nobody removing them for cold storage.
— max seddon (@maxseddon) July 18, 2014
OSCE have no idea who is controlling #MH17 crash site. Appears to be several small rebel groups with no leader. Fate of black boxes unknown.
— max seddon (@maxseddon) July 18, 2014
OSCE unable to access all but a small area of #MH17 crash site due to aggressive armed rebel guards. "Some looked slightly intoxicated."
— max seddon (@maxseddon) July 18, 2014