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| Ukraine Accuses Insurgents of Blocking Access to Crash Site | Ukraine Accuses Insurgents of Blocking Access to Crash Site |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| KIEV, Ukraine — The Ukrainian government accused Russian-backed insurgents on Saturday of blocking recovery workers from the crash site of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17, which was shot down by a missile on Thursday, and of trying to destroy evidence surrounding the attack. | |
| “The Russian-led terrorists are preventing access of the international community and foreign governments to the location where the Malaysia Airlines airplane crashed on July 17 and are obstructing the launch of an investigation,” the government’s statement said. | “The Russian-led terrorists are preventing access of the international community and foreign governments to the location where the Malaysia Airlines airplane crashed on July 17 and are obstructing the launch of an investigation,” the government’s statement said. |
| The government said that it had information that 38 bodies were taken to the morgue in Donetsk, a regional capital that is a rebel stronghold. | The government said that it had information that 38 bodies were taken to the morgue in Donetsk, a regional capital that is a rebel stronghold. |
| On Friday, government officials had said they were planning to take the bodies of the 298 victims of the jetliner disaster to Kharkiv, a city that is under Ukrainian government control. They said a special laboratory would be deployed there to help identify remains and that the inquiry into the disaster, which is to involve experts from several countries, would also be based in Kharkiv. | On Friday, government officials had said they were planning to take the bodies of the 298 victims of the jetliner disaster to Kharkiv, a city that is under Ukrainian government control. They said a special laboratory would be deployed there to help identify remains and that the inquiry into the disaster, which is to involve experts from several countries, would also be based in Kharkiv. |
| At a news conference in Kiev on Saturday, Andriy Lysenko, a spokesman for Ukraine’s national Defense and Security Council, said he could not provide information about the crash scene, because “terrorists” were blocking the government’s access. | At a news conference in Kiev on Saturday, Andriy Lysenko, a spokesman for Ukraine’s national Defense and Security Council, said he could not provide information about the crash scene, because “terrorists” were blocking the government’s access. |
| “At present we have limited information and limited ability to obtain formal information,” Mr. Lysenko said. “The people who are working from our side, they do not have the ability of free movement. They are under control of the terrorists. They are guarding the place. They are taking out all the evidence.” | “At present we have limited information and limited ability to obtain formal information,” Mr. Lysenko said. “The people who are working from our side, they do not have the ability of free movement. They are under control of the terrorists. They are guarding the place. They are taking out all the evidence.” |
| He added, “The terrorists, they collect everything in their hands.” | He added, “The terrorists, they collect everything in their hands.” |
| The government’s allegations of obstruction underscored the difficulty of trying to carry out a recovery operation in what remains an active combat zone. | The government’s allegations of obstruction underscored the difficulty of trying to carry out a recovery operation in what remains an active combat zone. |
| And even as officials in Kiev demanded free access to the crash site, there were reports of heavy fighting in the city of Luhansk, with at least five Ukrainian soldiers killed, according to the government. Ukrainian news services reporting explosions in the center of the city. | And even as officials in Kiev demanded free access to the crash site, there were reports of heavy fighting in the city of Luhansk, with at least five Ukrainian soldiers killed, according to the government. Ukrainian news services reporting explosions in the center of the city. |
| The Ukrainian government on Saturday also provided new details about the missile attack on the passenger jet, saying the rocket was fired from a BUK-M1 antiaircraft system in the town of Snizhne, about 12 miles from the Russian border. | The Ukrainian government on Saturday also provided new details about the missile attack on the passenger jet, saying the rocket was fired from a BUK-M1 antiaircraft system in the town of Snizhne, about 12 miles from the Russian border. |
| Vitaly Nayda, the head of counterintelligence for the Ukrainian State Security Service, said at a news conference that separatist rebels had been in possession of at least three BUK-M1 systems, and that after the Flight 17 disaster had taken them across the border into Russia . “We have identified the place from which they launched that missile,” Mr. Nayda said. “That area where they launched the missile was under control of terrorist organizations.” | Vitaly Nayda, the head of counterintelligence for the Ukrainian State Security Service, said at a news conference that separatist rebels had been in possession of at least three BUK-M1 systems, and that after the Flight 17 disaster had taken them across the border into Russia . “We have identified the place from which they launched that missile,” Mr. Nayda said. “That area where they launched the missile was under control of terrorist organizations.” |
| Officials were certain, he said, that the rebels knew they were aiming at a plane flying above 10,000 meters, or 32,800 feet. While this is in the range of a passenger jet’s normal cruising altitude, he also said that Ukrainian military aircraft sometimes fly that high. “There is no doubt that terrorists knew that they had launched a missile against a plane that was higher than 10,000 meters,” Mr. Nayda said, adding, “We know for sure that the terrorists have the plan to shoot down every military plane, every military plane, even cargo plane, every helicopter, in the air over Donetsk and Luhansk regions.” | Officials were certain, he said, that the rebels knew they were aiming at a plane flying above 10,000 meters, or 32,800 feet. While this is in the range of a passenger jet’s normal cruising altitude, he also said that Ukrainian military aircraft sometimes fly that high. “There is no doubt that terrorists knew that they had launched a missile against a plane that was higher than 10,000 meters,” Mr. Nayda said, adding, “We know for sure that the terrorists have the plan to shoot down every military plane, every military plane, even cargo plane, every helicopter, in the air over Donetsk and Luhansk regions.” |
| Speaking in Kiev, the capital, Mr. Nayda presented photographs that he said showed the BUK-M1 systems in Donetsk, as well as on the road toward Russia. He said that at 2 a.m. on Friday -- less than 12 hours after the Malaysian jet fell from the skies -- two BUK-M1 systems were taken across the border into Russia and that a third was taken across the border at 4 a.m. along with a vehicle used to help operate the surface-to-air missile system. | Speaking in Kiev, the capital, Mr. Nayda presented photographs that he said showed the BUK-M1 systems in Donetsk, as well as on the road toward Russia. He said that at 2 a.m. on Friday -- less than 12 hours after the Malaysian jet fell from the skies -- two BUK-M1 systems were taken across the border into Russia and that a third was taken across the border at 4 a.m. along with a vehicle used to help operate the surface-to-air missile system. |
| Mr. Nayda also showed a photograph of a white streak of smoke that he said officials believed was the trace of the missile fired at the passenger plane from the town of Snizhne. | Mr. Nayda also showed a photograph of a white streak of smoke that he said officials believed was the trace of the missile fired at the passenger plane from the town of Snizhne. |
| In its statement, the Ukrainian government said that it had informed its international partners about the obstruction of the recovery operation in the east, and that it was urging them to pressure Russia to help ease the obstacles. | In its statement, the Ukrainian government said that it had informed its international partners about the obstruction of the recovery operation in the east, and that it was urging them to pressure Russia to help ease the obstacles. |
| “The Government officially states: the terrorists, with Russia’s support, are attempting to destroy the evidence of this international crime. We urge the international community to oblige Russia to withdraw its terrorists from Ukraine and to allow the Ukrainian and international experts to hold a comprehensive investigation of the tragedy,” the statement said. | “The Government officially states: the terrorists, with Russia’s support, are attempting to destroy the evidence of this international crime. We urge the international community to oblige Russia to withdraw its terrorists from Ukraine and to allow the Ukrainian and international experts to hold a comprehensive investigation of the tragedy,” the statement said. |