#MH17 OSCE back at scene now. New militia. More organised and establishing cordon to allow OSCE operate
— Fergal Keane (@fergalkeane47) July 20, 2014
Propaganda war: Russia government agencies try to change even Wikipedia. http://t.co/qJJJMIw3sq
— Carl Bildt (@carlbildt) July 20, 2014
After this piece by @carlbildt there isn't much more to say about Ukraine. The question is, who will listen? http://t.co/K3xhMnXyvp via @FT
— toomas hendrik ilves (@IlvesToomas) July 19, 2014
#US Embassy Kiev "Flight #MH17 was likely downed by a SA-11 surface-to-air missile from separatist-controlled territory in eastern #Ukraine"
— David M. Herszenhorn (@herszenhorn) July 20, 2014
Berkut guarding #MH17 bodies are most serious guys I've seen anywhere out east. Total opposite of crash site chaos. pic.twitter.com/mlzfgznysT
— max seddon (@maxseddon) July 20, 2014
Tailgating the #OSCE mission to the next incident site. I'll keep u updated as the investigation proceeds. #MH17 pic.twitter.com/2i1HBQY040
— Mircea Barbu (@mirceabarbu) July 20, 2014
The OSCE have inspected the wagons but have left the scene without counting the bodies - "impossible without special equipment".
— Shaun Walker (@shaunwalker7) July 20, 2014
The rail station in Torez where the bodies are out back in refrigeration rail cars. #MH17 pic.twitter.com/7cDwoWKV7a
— Paul Sonne (@PaulSonne) July 20, 2014
Our news desk has issued this item on what is happening to the bodies from the crash site:
Reports today claim that more than 190 bodies of the 298 people aboard the downed Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 have been taken from the field in eastern Ukraine where they had been lying since July 17.
Both Russian and Ukrainian news agencies are reporting that at least 196 bodies have been removed from the crash site.
Some reports said it was unclear where the bodies had been taken but the Reuters news agency said railway workers claimed at least some of the bodies had been taken to refrigeration wagons at the train station in Torez, some 15 kilometers from the crash site.
Ukrainian emergency services spokeswoman Nataliya Bystro said government workers and rebels had gathered 196 bodies but she added that the rebels then took to the bodies to an unknown location.
Russian TV channel Rossiya 24 reported the bodies had been taken to the morgue in the city of Donetsk.
There were also reports that a local separatist leader -- Andrei Purgin, the deputy premier of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic -- has given a guarantee of safety to international experts to visit the site of the crash if Kyiv agrees to a truce.
Meanwhile, memorial services have been held in Australia to honor those killed on the Malaysian airliner over eastern Ukraine.
Twenty-eight of the 298 people on the plane were Australians, while eight more were permanent residents of the country.
Prime Minister Tony Abbott, who attended a Catholic mass in Sydney, spoke of the nation's anguish, saying there would hardly be any Australians who hadn't been emotionally touched by the tragedy.
In Melbourne, a special mass was held for the HIV/AIDS experts and campaigners who had boarded the Malaysia Airlines flight as they made their way to that city for an international AIDS conference.
(AFP, AP, ITAR-TASS, Interfax, UNIAN, Reuters)
The grimmest of graveyards - my Mail on Sunday report from Ukraine on the shocking & sickening scenes of desecration http://t.co/Tps9lDw4Rt
— Ian Birrell (@ianbirrell) July 20, 2014