DNR leader Borodai says bodies of #MH17 will remain in refrigerated train cars at #Torez station until "experts" arrive to inspect.
— Christopher Miller (@ChristopherJM) July 20, 2014
Went to three crash sites today. Saw only one rebel the entire time with a gun. Seems as if it would be fine for int'l investigators to come
— Paul Sonne (@PaulSonne) July 20, 2014
RFE/RL's Washington correspondent Luke Johnson has sent us this item on John Kerry's view as to where the missile that shot down Flight MH17 came from:
The United States has assessed that a surface-to-air missile which shot down a Malaysia Airlines plane over Ukraine originated in Russia, Secretary of State John Kerry said today.
"It's pretty clear that this is a system that was transferred from Russia in the hands of separatists," said Kerry on CNN's "State Of The Union" program.
He added that the U.S. knows "with confidence" that the Ukrainian government did not have a BUK missile launcher in the vicinity of the attack.
The secretary added that he was "confident" that U.S. President Barack Obama and Russian President Vladimir Putin would speak soon.
U.S. intelligence authenticated audio intercepted by the Ukrainian government of separatists admitting that a faction had shot down a plane, according to a statement from the U.S. Embassy in Kyiv.
#MH17 in debris a young Dutch girl's holiday journal in neat meticulous writing. Heartbreaking
— Matt Frei (@mattfrei) July 20, 2014
Evidence of looting. Envelope ripped open by hands not blast. Empty MH17 pic.twitter.com/TpRgc6lYmA
— Matt Frei (@mattfrei) July 20, 2014
RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service has issued this video which purportedly shows emergency workers discovering one of the "black boxes" at the MH17 crash site (natural sound).
Rebel leader Borodai says OSCE wants journalists barred from #MH17 crash site. Says he won't do it bc he believes in press freedom
— Kirit Radia (@KiritRadia) July 20, 2014
Here are some more details from our news desk concerning the reported finding of MH17's so/called black boxes:
The self-proclaimed leader of a separatist region in eastern Ukraine says the "black boxes" from the downed Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 have been found and will be given to the International Civil Aviation Organization.
Aleksandr Borodai, the self-styled prime minister of the self-proclaimed "Donetsk People's Republic," said at a press conference in Donetsk today that pro-Russian separatists have what appear to be the black boxes from the airliner, which crashed on July 17.
Borodai said rebel forces had recovered "some items, presumably the black boxes," and said they were delivered to the eastern city of Donetsk, which is controlled by the separatists.
Different separatist leaders have claimed at various times in the past three days to have had one or both of the black boxes and later denied having either of them.
Separatist forces control the area -- near the town of Torez, close to the Russian border -- where the airliner and 298 people onboard crashed.
(Reuters, AFP, AP, Interfax)
BREAKING: Rebel leader in Ukraine: Black boxes found, will be given to international aviation authority.
— The Associated Press (@AP) July 20, 2014
!!! BREAKING NEWS !!!
Self-proclaimed Donetsk separatist leader Aleksandr Borodai says pro-Russian separatists have what appears to be the black boxes from the downed Malaysia Airlines jet. Borodai said "some items, presumably the black boxes," were delivered to the eastern city of Donetsk, which is controlled by the separatists. (Reuters, AFP)
More to follow soon
RFE/RL's news desk has some more details of David Cameron's conversation with Angela Merkel and Francois Hollande earlier today:
The leaders of Britain, France and Germany agreed during a telephone call to impose further sanctions on Russia if President Vladimir Putin does not ensure that pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine allow investigators free access to the site of the downed Malaysian airliner.
The office of French President Francois Hollande released a statement on July 20 saying Hollande had spoken with German Chancellor Angela Merkel and British Prime Minister David Cameron.
The statement said the three agreed "to demand from Mr. Putin today that he ensure that Ukrainian separatists allow emergency workers and investigators free and complete access" to the site where the Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 airliner crashed after being shot down, killing all 298 people aboard.
The statement also said, "If Russia does not immediately take the necessary measures, consequences will be drawn by the European Union at the Foreign Affairs Council which takes place" on July 22.
(Reuters, AFP, dpa)