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MH17 plane crash: Netherlands holds solemn ceremony for victims MH17 plane crash: Netherlands holds solemn ceremony for victims
(35 minutes later)
The Netherlands has received the first victims' bodies from crashed Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 in a solemn ceremony at Eindhoven air base.The Netherlands has received the first victims' bodies from crashed Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 in a solemn ceremony at Eindhoven air base.
Forty hearses left for the town of Hilversum where the formal identification process will begin.Forty hearses left for the town of Hilversum where the formal identification process will begin.
The Netherlands is observing a national day of mourning for the 298 victims, most of whom were Dutch.The Netherlands is observing a national day of mourning for the 298 victims, most of whom were Dutch.
Ukrainian pro-Russian rebels have been widely accused of shooting down the plane on 17 July.Ukrainian pro-Russian rebels have been widely accused of shooting down the plane on 17 July.
UK government sources say intelligence shows rebels deliberately tampered with evidence, moving bodies and placing parts from other planes in the debris.UK government sources say intelligence shows rebels deliberately tampered with evidence, moving bodies and placing parts from other planes in the debris.
As fighting continued in eastern Ukraine on Wednesday, officials in Kiev told the BBC that two aircraft, thought to be military jets, had been downed just 35km (20 miles) from the crash site. As fighting continued in eastern Ukraine on Wednesday, officials in Kiev told the BBC that two aircraft, thought to be military jets, had been downed just 35km (20 miles) from the crash site. The fate of the pilots was unclear.
The officials had no information on the cause of the crashes, or the fate of the pilots. US intelligence officials had earlier released evidence that they said showed the separatists' involvement in bringing down flight MH17.
US intelligence officials had earlier released evidence to the media that they said showed the separatists' involvement in bringing down flight MH17. Two military planes - one Dutch and the other Australian - carrying the first 40 coffins landed at Eindhoven air base on Wednesday afternoon. They were met by members of the Dutch royal family, Prime Minister Mark Rutte and hundreds of victims' relatives.
Rebels have also been accused of exaggerating the number of bodies transported from the crash site to the town of Kharkiv on Tuesday.
They had claimed 282 bodies had been loaded on to a train, but experts said only 200 could be verified.
Two military planes - one Dutch and the other Australian - carrying the first 40 coffins landed at Eindhoven air base on Wednesday afternoon to be met by members of the Dutch royal family, Prime Minister Mark Rutte and hundreds of victims' relatives.
Churches around the Netherlands rang their bells for five minutes before the planes landed, and flags of all the nations affected by the disaster have been flying at half mast. There was also a minute's silence.Churches around the Netherlands rang their bells for five minutes before the planes landed, and flags of all the nations affected by the disaster have been flying at half mast. There was also a minute's silence.
The coffins were slowly loaded into a fleet of waiting hearses which then moved off in motorcades with motorcycle escorts. The coffins were slowly loaded into a fleet of waiting hearses which then moved off in motorcades.
All the bodies are being taken to the Korporaal van Oudheusden barracks south of the city of Hilversum for identification. Mr Rutte said that process could take months. All the bodies are being taken to the Korporaal van Oudheusden barracks south of the city of Hilversum for identification, a process that could take months.
Earlier, the coffins had been loaded on to the planes by a military guard of honour at Kharkiv airport in eastern Ukraine.Earlier, the coffins had been loaded on to the planes by a military guard of honour at Kharkiv airport in eastern Ukraine.
Ambassadors, officials and soldiers gathered to see off the planes. There has been mounting international anger at the delays in recovering the bodies.
Australian government envoy Angus Houston said the ceremony was intended to give the victims the "respect and dignity they deserve" after a "tragedy of unspeakable proportions". However, separatist leader Alexander Borodai told BBC Newsnight that international observers from the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) had told them to leave the bodies to be collected by experts.
In a separate process, the "black box" flight-data recorders from MH17 have arrived in the UK, where they will be examined at the headquarters of the Air Accidents Investigation Branch in Farnborough. "So we wait a day. We wait a second day. A third day. Come on! Not a single expert. Well, to leave the bodies there any longer, in 30 degree heat, it's absurd. It's simply inhuman. It's a scene from a horror movie," he said.
A rebel militiaman told Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera that he had been ordered to the crash site minutes after the MH17 plane had gone down. The OSCE has not yet commented on his claims.
He said his commanders had told him: "We've just shot down one of the Kiev fascists' planes." Rebels have also been accused of exaggerating the number of bodies transported from the crash site to the town of Kharkiv on Tuesday.
The militiaman said: "We thought we were looking for baled-out Ukrainian pilots but instead we found dead civilians." They had claimed there were 282 bodies but experts said only 200 could be verified.
Earlier in Washington, officials from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence presented evidence they had gathered on the involvement of the rebels. In a separate development, the Dutch air safety board said the cockpit voice recorder from flight MH17 had been successfully downloaded and contained "valid data from the flight".
The "black box" flight-data recorders are being examined at the headquarters of the UK's Air Accidents Investigation Branch in Farnborough.
Earlier in Washington, intelligence officials presented evidence they had gathered on the involvement of the rebels.
"It's a solid case that it's an SA-11 [missile] that was fired from eastern Ukraine under conditions the Russians helped create," said the officials, who requested that their names not be reported."It's a solid case that it's an SA-11 [missile] that was fired from eastern Ukraine under conditions the Russians helped create," said the officials, who requested that their names not be reported.
They said the "most plausible explanation" for the shooting down of the plane was that rebels mistook it for another aircraft. They said the "most plausible explanation" was that rebels mistook the airliner for another aircraft.
The evidence they presented included:The evidence they presented included:
BBC security correspondent Gordon Corera said some observers suggested the US statement constituted a subtle backing off from more assertive claims over the weekend in which they said they could not rule out a direct Russian role. American diplomats said this was not the case.
Meanwhile, fighting between Ukrainian government forces and rebels around the rebel stronghold of Donetsk has reportedly left 16 people dead.Meanwhile, fighting between Ukrainian government forces and rebels around the rebel stronghold of Donetsk has reportedly left 16 people dead.
A statement from overall military commander Igor Strelkov posted on a rebel website said he had withdrawn his fighters from the outskirts of Donetsk.A statement from overall military commander Igor Strelkov posted on a rebel website said he had withdrawn his fighters from the outskirts of Donetsk.
He said they had pulled back and were prepared to defend their positions.He said they had pulled back and were prepared to defend their positions.
The fighting in eastern Ukraine erupted in April and is believed to have claimed more than 1,000 lives.The fighting in eastern Ukraine erupted in April and is believed to have claimed more than 1,000 lives.