- Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 was shot down over territory held by Pro-Russian rebels in eastern Ukraine
- Body parts and wreckage from flight, headed from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur, spread over nine-mile area
- Nine Britons and 189 Dutch have been confirmed dead, along with 27 Australians and 44 Malaysians
- Three Australian children - Mo, Evie and Otis Maslin, aged between eight and 12 - were among those killed
- An entire Indonesian family - including a five-year-old boy and a three-year-old girl, also died in the attack
- Two British students - Richard Mayne, 20, and Ben Pocock, in his early 20s, were also named as victims today
- Also named were press officer Glenn Thomas, 49, and Newcastle United fans John Alder and Liam Sweeney
- As many as 100 of the victims are thought to have been Aids experts on their way to a conference in Melbourne
Eighty children were among the victims killed when a passenger jet was shot out of the sky at 32,000ft by a surface-to-air missile yesterday.
Two Indonesians aged just three and five who were flying with their parents, as well as three Australian children headed home with their grandfather, numbered among the 298 dead after Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 was shot down over rebel-held Ukraine yesterday.
Also on board the doomed flight were around 100 Aids experts on their way to an international conference, a Catholic nun from Australia and a British university student.
The nationalities of more victims were confirmed today - with the toll now including 189 Dutch, 44 Malaysians, 27 Australians, 12 Indonesians and nine Britons. Four passengers are yet to be verified. No victims are thought to be U.S. citizens.
The Boeing 777 aircraft was travelling from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur when it was hit by a sophisticated surface-to-air missile over territory near Donetsk held by pro-Russian rebels who the Ukrainian government says are backed by the Kremlin. Russian President Vladimir Putin has blamed Ukraine for the attack.
Scroll down for videos
Children: Evie (left), Mo (centre) and Otis (right) Maslin are pictured celebrating a birthday at home
Young: Evie Maslin, 10, from Australia was flying with her siblings
Accompanying: Grandfather Nick Norris, pictured, was on board the flight with his three grandchildren
Pose: Mo Maslin has is pictured above at a parade
Child victims: Three grandchildren, Mo Maslin, 12, (left), his brother Otis, eight, (centre) and sister Evie Maslin, 10, (right) were killed on the flight along with their grandfather Nick Morris
At one swoop: An entire Indonesian family was killed in the attack: John Paulissen, his wife Yuli Hastini and two children, Martin Arjuna Paulissen, five and Sri Paulissen, three
Devastation: A surviving relative shows photographers images of the family, who were on the doomed plane
The plane was shot down in an 'act of terrorism', killing all 298 passengers and crew on board, including three Australian children, aged between eight and 12, who were travelling with their grandfather.
The family had been on holiday and the children’s parents had remained in Amsterdam for a few extra days, but Mr Norris took his grandchildren on MH17 to get them back to Australia in time for school, Australian broadcasters reported.
NATIONALITIES OF THE MH17 VICTIMS
Netherlands: 189
Malaysia: 44
Australia: 27
Indonesia: 12
UK: 9
Germany: 4
Belgium: 4
Philippines: 3
Canada: 1
New Zealand: 1
Unverified: 4
The tragedy has sparked outrage across the globe, with Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk leading calls on world powers to support his government in bringing to justice 'those b****** who committed this international crime' after a passenger plane was shot down over his country.
Security forces from Ukraine claim to have intercepted two phone conversations in which in which pro-Russian separatists seem to celebrate hitting the plane. In the wake of the aviation disaster tributes have poured in for the victims, who include families and renowned researchers.
Nick Norris, from Perth, Australia, was flying on the service with his grandchildren Mo, 12, Evie, 10, and Otis Maslin, eight, when it was shot down at around 16.00 BST yesterday.
Mr Norris’s son Brack, 24, paid tribute to his father, niece and nephews. ‘I’m a bit dizzy right now,’ he told MailOnline in Australia.
The family had been on holiday and the children’s parents had remained in Amsterdam for a few extra days, but Mr Norris took his grandchildren on MH17 to get them back to Australia in time for school, Australian broadcasters reported.
Mr Norris, the managing director of management consulting firm Collaborative Systemic Change Pty Ltd, is survived by his son Brack, who is the company's marketing manager, and daughter Kirstin, a marine engineer with the Royal Australian Navy. He was a well-known member of the South Perth Yacht Club.
The identities of British victims also emerged today, including two Newcastle United fans on their way to see the club play in New Zealand, and a student from Leeds University.
A Leeds university student has also been named as one of the British nationals who died when flight MH17 crashed in eastern Ukraine. Richard Mayne, 20, was originally from Leicester where he lived with his parents.
He also leaves behind his brothers Thomas, 24, and William, 19. Mr Mayne was studying maths and finance at the university.
Student: Richard Mayne, 20, was another of the British victims, who studied maths and finance at Leeds University
Traveller: Mr Mayne was on his way to spend a year in Australia, friends said, and had been at a celebratory barbecue days before where he was wished good luck
Speaking from the family home today, his father Simon, 53, said: 'He was on his way to Perth. When we were looking at flights together, there was this one that stopped in Amsterdam and we thought it would be perfect.
'I took him to the airport at 3am myself, to fly to Amsterdam. When I first saw it on the news, my heart dropped. I just thought, oh god, oh god – I couldn't believe it. We were hoping and praying he had fallen asleep at Amsterdam and missed his flight.
'You think you've got problems and them something like this happens and it all just takes over. I can't even bring myself to look at a photograph of him. We are beyond devastated. It is such a beautiful sunny day but our lives have been torn apart.'
Student Ben Pocock from Bristol was also named today as one of the victims. Mr Pocock, who was in his early 20s, had just finished studying at Loughborough University and was headed to Australia for a year's placement abroad.
The university paid tribute to Mr Pocock, today, saying he was destined to achieve a first-class degree.
'We are incredibly saddened to hear that one of our students, Ben Pocock, was believed to be a passenger on flight MH17,' a spokesman said.
Student: Ben Pocock, a student from Bristol who had just finished exams at Loughborough University, was headed to a holiday in Australia on MH17
'Ben had just completed the second year of his international business BSc degree and was flying out to begin a professional placement and to study abroad at the University of Western Australia as part of his third year.
'Ben was an excellent student and on course to gain a first class degree. He was also a fine athlete, who played on the university athletic union's Ultimate Frisbee team and won their Player of the Year honour.'
Glenn Thomas, a 49-year-old UN worker from Blackpool, was on board the flight. Mr Thomas was a media relations co-ordinator for the World Health Organisation, an agency of the United Nations agency, and had previously worked as a journalist for the BBC.
Malaysia Airlines has confirmed that 189 Dutch, 44 Malaysian (including 15 crew and two infants), 12 Indonesian, nine British, four German, three Filipino, and one Canadian citizen were also on the plane.
Mr Thomas grew up in Blackpool and worked as a journalist in the Lancashire seaside resort in the early 1990s, where his twin sister Tracey Withers still lives. The Blackpool Gazette reported that he moved to Geneva, Switzerland, a decade ago to start working for the WHO. He was said to have posted a status update shortly before starting his journey, which was supposed to end in Melbourne.
He caught a place from Geneva to Amsterdam, and boarded the doomed service from the Dutch capital to Kuala Lumpur, where he would have boarded a connecting flight. Mr Thomas lived in Geneva with his partner who lived in Geneva with his partner Claudio-Manoel Villaca-Vanetta, but is said to have kept up his ties to Blackpool.
Today one of his nephews said the family was 'totally torn up' by his death. The relative, a son of Mr Thomas's sister Tracey and her husband Mark, said his parents were on holiday in Spain when they heard the news. He said: 'She is on her way home; she is totally torn up. Like any twins they are very close-one of them feels everything the other does.She must have known in her mind something terrible was going on.'
Tributes were paid to Mr Thomas today, whom colleagues described as 'a wonderful personal and a great professional'. WHO spokesman Fadela Chaib said: ‘I can confirm he was on the flight travelling to Australia to attend the Aids conference in Australia.
Victim: Briton Glenn Thomas, 49, was among the 298 killed when Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 was blasted out of the sky by a surface-to-air missile
International: Mr Thomas (circled) is pictured above at a press conference delivered by the World Health Organisation - an agency of the United Nations - and is surrounded by high-ranking experts from the body
‘For the time being we would like to give his family time to grieve. We have lost a wonderful person and a great professional. Our hearts are broken. We are all in shock.’
It was also revealed that two Newcastle United fans were among the nine Britons killed. A fan site for the football club posted that two people were aboard MH17 on their way to New Zealand, where the team is playing in a pre-season tour.
One of the men is thought to be fan John Alder, who was in his 60s. The loyal supporter is known to other fans as The Undertaker because of his tradition of wearing a suit to every game.
He is thought only to have missed a single match since he started attending in 1973, and follows the team around the world for their away games.
It is believed John was travelling to the game with another 28-year-old fan, believed to be Liam Sweeney, from Newcastle.
Before the flight John had made his way from Amsterdam, then boarded the flight destined for Kuala Lumpur.
Tributes have started to pour in for the former BT worker, who was also known for his mullet-style haircut.
Newcastle Fans: John Alder, pictured left, and Liam Sweeney, right, were football supporters who were travelling to watch Newcastle United play in New Zealand when MH17 was shot out of the skies
GROWING LIST OF THE DEAD: NAMED VICTIMS FROM THE MH17 TRAGEDY
Mo Maslin, 12, Australian Otis Malsin, eight, Australian Evie Maslin, 10, Australian
John Paulissen, Indonesian Yuli Hastini, Indonesian Martin Arjuna Paulissen, five, Indonesian
Sri Paulissen, three, Indonesian Glenn Thomas, 49, British, WHO press officer Richard Mayne, 20, British, student
John Alder, 60s, NUFC fan Liam Sweeney, 28, NUFC fan Elaine Teoh, student, Australian
Nick Norris, Australian Albert Rizk, Australian, estate agent Mari Rizk, Australian
Sister Philomene Tiernan, Australian, nun Roger Guard, Australian, pathologist Jill Guard, Australian
Joep Lange, leading HIV expert Pim de Kuijer, Aids expert Martine de Schutter, Aids expert
Eugene Choo Jin Leong, Malaysian, pilot Regis Crolla, Dutch Azrina Yakob, Malaysian, air stewardess
Sanjid Singh Sandu, 41, Malaysian, air steward Shazana Salleh, Malaysian, air hostess Angeline Premila, Malaysian, air hostess
Ben Pocock, early 20s, British, student Fatima Dyczynski, Australian, entrepreneur Liliane Derden, Australian, researcher
John Paulissen, Indonesian Yuli Hastini, Indonesian Martin Arjuna Paulissen, five, Indonesian
Sri Paulissen, three, Indonesian Glenn Thomas, 49, British, WHO press officer Richard Mayne, 20, British, student
John Alder, 60s, NUFC fan Liam Sweeney, 28, NUFC fan Elaine Teoh, student, Australian
Nick Norris, Australian Albert Rizk, Australian, estate agent Mari Rizk, Australian
Sister Philomene Tiernan, Australian, nun Roger Guard, Australian, pathologist Jill Guard, Australian
Joep Lange, leading HIV expert Pim de Kuijer, Aids expert Martine de Schutter, Aids expert
Eugene Choo Jin Leong, Malaysian, pilot Regis Crolla, Dutch Azrina Yakob, Malaysian, air stewardess
Sanjid Singh Sandu, 41, Malaysian, air steward Shazana Salleh, Malaysian, air hostess Angeline Premila, Malaysian, air hostess
Ben Pocock, early 20s, British, student Fatima Dyczynski, Australian, entrepreneur Liliane Derden, Australian, researcher
Newcastle United manager Alan Pardew said today his players were 'deeply shocked and saddened' at the deaths of two such 'dedicated' fans.
The club said both men were familiar faces at every United away game and attended reserve and academy matches as well as first-team games.
The airline has now said that all European flights operated by Malaysia Airlines will now be taking alternative routes, avoiding the usual route over Ukraine.
A real estate agent, from Victoria, Australia, his wife, a Perth management consultant, a Melbourne university student and a Sydney Catholic nun are among the Australian dead on board Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 that was shot down on the Russian-Ukraine border.
A Catholic nun from Sydney was also on board the flight. Sister Philomena, a teacher at girls' high school Kincoppal-Rose Bay, was the relative of school students at St Mary’s Catholic Primary School in North Sydney.
It has been confirmed that Malaysian student Elaine Teoh, who had been studying at Melbourne University, was also on the flight, Channel Nine reported.
Recently retired pathologist Roger Guard and his wife Jill from Toowoomba in Queensland, have also been identified from the MH17 flight.
Dr Guard was well regarded in the medical community, acting as the director within the Pathology Queensland laboratory in Toowoomba Hospital. He also helped perform autopsies on the victims of the Queensland flood and was well known for organising local marathon events in his local community for the Toowoomba Road Runner fitness group.
A Victorian couple Frankie Davison and her husband Liam were on MH17. Mrs Davison was a teacher at Toorak College Community, south-east of Melbourne.
Entrepreneur: Fatima Dyczynski, the founder of data company Xoterra Space, is thought to have been on board. Her parents are believed to be Australian
Pilot: Eugene Choo Jin Leong was flying MH17 when it was shot down. Malaysia Airlines has described him as one of their most trusted pilots
Victims: Melbourne student Elaine Teoh
Perth man Nick Norris
Real estate agent Albert Rizk
Mr Rizk's wife Marie
It has also been confirmed that NSW resident Sister Philomene Tiernan (centre), a teacher at eastern Sydney's Catholic girls' school in Kincoppal-Rose Bay, was also on the plane
Shot down: Recently retired pathologist Roger Guard (left) and his wife Jill (right) from Toowoomba in Queensland, have also been identified from the MH17 flight
Scientist: Leading HIV researcher Joep Lange (pictured) died in the MH17 crash
Conference: Pim de Kuijer, another AIDS researcher, was on his way to the Melbourne conference
Victim: Martine de Schutter, pictured, was another one of the delegation
'Toorak College Community is saddened by the loss of much loved teacher Frankie Davison and her husband Liam who were on the Malaysia Airlines flight that was brought down over Ukraine, this morning,' said a statement on the college Facebook page.
'Our hearts and sympathy goes out to their children Milly and Sam, and family. We are devastated by the news of this tragedy.'
Victorian real estate agent, Albert Rizk, and his wife Marie also died in the crash.
They had been in Europe on holidays for several weeks. They had been travelling with family friends who took an earlier flight and were waiting for the Rizks to arrive home in Sunbury, Victoria, where they were high-profile members of a tight-knit community.
Mr Rizk was a director of Raine & Horne in Sunbury.
President of the Sunbury Football Club Phil Lithgow said Mr Rizk was a sponsor of the AFL club as well as an enthusiastic community worker and his wife worked in the club canteen.
The couple's son James, who is also a real estate agent, plays football for the Sunbury club.
'He is a very good footballer and Albert and Marie were just lovely people,' Mr Lithgow told Daily Mail Australia.
'It is a shock to us all, Albert was just such a community person in the area.'
Australian death: Liliane Derden, from Canberra, was also named as a victim. She worked for the National Health and Medical Research Council
Victims from around the world: Regis Crolla, left, was one of the 189 Dutch nationals on board the flight out of Amsterdam, while stewardess Azrina Yakob, right, was thought to have been working on board the flight
Twist of fate: Sanjid Singh Sandu, 41, switched shifts on to the doomed liner at short notice
Loss: Shazana Salleh, pictured, was reportedly one of the Malaysian flight attendants on board
'Killed': Angeline Premila was another airline worker thought to have been on board
A spokesman for The University of Melbourne released a statement saying they were 'saddened' to hear reports about one of their students.
'Ms Teoh graduated from the University of Melbourne with a Bachelor of Commerce in 2008,' the spokesman said.
'Our thoughts are with her family and friends at this time.'
The spokesman added that the university was distressed to learn that HIV and Aids researchers were on the flight.
'This is a terrible loss to the global research community at a time when we were getting ready to welcome them to the World Aids Conference in Melbourne to share the latest advances in the field,' the spokesman said.
'The impact of this devastating loss will no doubt be felt among the global research community for years to come.'
There are unconfirmed reports that two Shell company employees may have been aboard MH17 returning from a trip to Shell's Amsterdam head office.
'We are aware of the incident involving the Malaysia Airlines plane and we’re checking to see if any colleagues were on board,' a Shell Australia spokesman said.
Victorian Premier Denis Napthine confirmed MH17 was to connect with MH129 arriving in Melbourne this evening.
'It is with deep regret that I can now confirm nine Australian nationals from Victoria are among those who have been killed in the MH17 tragedy,' he said.
'This is a sad and tragic day, not just for Victorians, but for all people and all nations. The shooting down of a passenger aircraft full of innocent civilians is an unspeakable act that will forever leave a dark stain on our history.'
Mourners have laid flowers at the doorstep of the embassy to pay respect to victims
Passengers board their Malaysia Airlines flight at Bangkok airport as it prepares to depart for Kuala Lumpur early on July 18
Relics in the rubble: Passports of victims, such as this one which appears to show a Dutch teenager, were found in the crash site wreckage
Debris at the crash site of a passenger plane near the village of Grabovo, Ukraine where Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 crashed
Crash site: Rescue workers inspect the wreckage of a Malaysia Airlines passenger plane which was shot down today above Ukraine, killed all 298 people on board
Destruction: The Boeing 777 aircraft was hit by a sophisticated surface-to-air missile over territory near Donetsk held by pro-Russian rebels who the Ukrainian government says are backed by the Kremlin
Leading HIV researchers, including former president of the International Aids Society Joep Lange, were en route to the 20th International Aids Conference, AIDS2014, which will begin this weekend despite the attack.
It was also revealed today that the U.S. government does not believe any of its own citizens were on board, as nobody used an American passport to get on the plane.
Internal White House emails shown to Buzzfeed indicate that a list of passengers on the flight seen by government officials did not include details of U.S. passports.
Although there is a possibility that U.S. citizens with dual nationalities - which could give them access to another passport - were on board, nobody is thought to have contacted the U.S. consulate in Amsterdam.
WORLD LEADERS UNDER PRESSURE TO 'BRING THOSE B******* TO JUSTICE' AFTER MH17 ATTACK
Western leaders were today urged to 'bring justice to those b*******' who brought down flight MH17 - as the political ramifications of the attack began to emerge.
Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk said world leaders needed to realised there was 'a war in the heart of Europe' taking place, amid growing fury at Moscow's backing the pro-Russian separatists suspected of carrying out the assault.
David Cameron this morning hit out at the 'absolutely appalling, shocking, horrific' attack and warned: 'It cannot be allowed to stand.' Barack Obama and the front runner to be the next US President, Hilary Clinton, also lashed out at the missile assault.
But Russian president Vladimir Putin called for a ceasefire between pro-Russian gangs in control of the area around Donetsk and the Ukrainian government. He said what was happening in Ukraine was 'awful - it's a tragedy'.
Laying the blame: The Ukrainian authorities laid the blame for the attack on the rebels by denying any responsibility for the missile launch, with President Petro Poroshenko called the downing an act of terrorism
No survivors: Witnesses say body parts are scattered over a distance of 15km, suggesting the plane broke up in mid-air
Ukrainian leaders said the attack proved the need to toughen up the diplomatic pressure on Moscow.
The country's Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk called on Western leaders 'to support the Ukrainian government to bring to justice those b******* who committed this international crime'.
Mr Yatsenyuk called for a UN Security Council meeting to be held and for nations to do 'everything we can to stop this war - a war against Ukraine, a war against Europe ... this is the war against the world.'
Kiev mayor, Vitaly Klichko, addedL: 'The world must finally understand that in Ukraine, in the heart of Europe, is a war.'
He added: 'This tragedy shows that terrorists and those who finance them will not stop only at the Donbass nor only with aggression against Ukraine.'
Kiev Interior Ministry advisor Anton Gerashchenko said it was a 'terrible terrorist act organized by Putin by means of the terrorists'.
Pieces from the shot down plane and a suitcase were seen scattered near the city of Shakhtarsk in Ukraine's Donetsk region
Struggle: A firefighter sprays water on the flames in an attempt to extinguish the fire
But Mr Putin said he was in contact with Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko.
Speaking today he said: 'Direct talks between the opposing sides must be established as soon as possible. All sides in the conflict must swiftly halt fighting and begin peace negotiations,' Putin said.
'It is with great concern and sadness that we are watching what is happening in eastern Ukraine. It's awful, it's a tragedy.'
Putin, who has blamed the airliner tragedy on Mr Poroshenko for refusing to extend a shaky ceasefire with rebels in the region, said he hoped the Ukrainian president would be able to offer a peaceful way out of the conflict.
US president Barack Obama was under pressure to take a more hawkish line after his former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton called for action.
She said a response was necessary to 'put Putin on notice that he has gone too far and we are not going to stand idly by'. It came after Senator John McCain said there would be 'hell to pay' in Moscow.
Russia was this morning bracing itself for a fresh round of sanctions - tightening the noose on the country's fragile economy.
But new sanctions are likely to be just the first step in the West's diplomatic response - as Europe and the US unite against Moscow.
'Fence sitting' leaders like Germany Angela Merkel are likely to face growing pressure to take a more hawkish stance against Vladimir Putin.
The missile assault also threatens to turn the tide in Ukraine's bitter civil war - strengthening the Kiev government's hand as it looks to overrun the pinned-down rebel fighters holed up in the east of the country.
A firefighter stands as flames burst amongst the wreckages of MH17 after it crashed, near the town of Shaktarsk, in rebel-held east Ukraine
Russian-backed rebel forces appeared to take responsibility for the atrocity in aftermath of the attack yesterday, but Mr Putin has rejected any suggestion of his country's involvement.
However, security experts have dismissed the idea that Ukraine's separatist rebels are capable of such highly-sophisticated missile attacks without expert military help.
Even without direct Russian support, the tragedy exposes the danger of allowing Russia to supply rebel groups in Ukraine with high-grade military equipment such as anti-aircraft missiles.
The immediate consequence of the attack is likely to be a tightening of the noose on Russia's fragile economy with increased sanctions imposed by both the US and the EU.
But with global attention back on the crisis the missile assault could also dramatically strengthen Kiev's hand against the rebels.
Nato has already warned Russia about the irresponsible way in which powerful weapons like tanks, armoured personnel carriers and surface-to-air missiles have been supplied to the militias in Ukraine.
Before yesterday's attack on the Maylasian Airways plane, the rebels had succeeded in downing a number of government jets.
Discarded: Luggage from the plane is piled up at the crash site by rescue workers performing recovery work in east Ukraine
Search: The Foreign Office is in talks with consular teams in Amsterdam and Kuala Lumpur to obtain passenger lists to establish how many UK nationals were on board the plane
But now, according to Jonathan Eyal of the Royal International Services Institute in London, Mr Putin may be forced to be more 'circumspect about what he offers' the rebels for fear of being caught.
But this may turn the tide in the Ukrainian government's favour, Mr Eyal said. 'The rebels may well be overwhelmed by Ukrainian forces who are already pinning them down at the moment.'
Mr Eyal said the attack could prove to be 'the turning point in the Ukrainian crisis'.
He said: 'There are already indications that the Russians are very worried.
'This will act as a reminder to Putin that this escalation of military pressure that he thought he had eminent deniability for is fraught with massive risk. It makes it extremely difficult for the Russians to continue this policy of escalation. It might force them to be much more prudent.'
Mr Putin has released a statement blaming the Ukrainian government for the attack and has already spoken to the Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte and the US president Barack Obama.
The Russian president called for a 'thorough and unbiased investigation' of the crash.
He was earlier quoted as saying it is the fault of the Ukrainian government for failing to reach a compromise with the separatists.
He said: 'This tragedy wouldn’t have occurred if there had been peace on this land and hostilities hadn’t been renewed in Ukraine’s southeast.
'And of course the government on whose territory this occurred is responsible for this terrible tragedy.'
Action: A Whitehall source said that this evening's meeting was involving Government officials, rather than ministers, and was focused on establishing what needs to be done for any British citizens caught up in the incident
But Mr Putin's remarks have not been echoed in Western capitals, with most leaders showing barely-concealed fury at Russia's aggression on its borders.
Stephen Harper, the Canadian prime minister has said Russian aggression was 'the root of the ongoing conflict' in Ukraine. 'While we do not yet know who is responsible for this attack, we continue to condemn Russia’s military aggression and illegal occupation of Ukraine,' he said in a statement.
He said he was 'shocked and saddened' by the disaster, which left one Canadian national dead.
The US has demanded an 'unimpeded' international inquiry into the disaster and warned evidence should not be tampered with.
Joe Biden, the US vice president, has said the plane appeared to have been 'shot down, not an accident.'
After a request from Britain, the UN Security Council will hold an emergency session today.
The tragedy is also likely to harden the resolve of 'fence sitters' like Germany's Chancellor Angela Merkel.
Smoke signals: A plume of thick grey smoke rises from the spot where the Malaysia Airlines commercial plane crashed in eastern Ukraine
Aftermath: Remains of the plane lay scattered across the ground in Grabovo after the aircraft was shot down by a sophisticated surface-to-air missile
Insignia: The red and blue stripes which decorate the Malaysia Airlines fleet can be seen in this broken piece of the plane's exterior, as can a Malaysian flag
In pieces: Part of the wreckage of the Malaysia Airlines plane lies in an otherwise deserted cornfield
Carnage: A firefighter tackles a blaze at the site of the Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777 plane crash in the settlement of Grabovo in the Donetsk region of Ukraine
Salvage operation: Emergencies Ministry members work at the crash site after the plane was shot down, killing all 295 on board
Shashank Joshi, of the Royal International Services Institute, said: 'This absolutely transforms the way the Ukraine crisis will progress. It would be an absolute game-changer if it was found to be pro-Russian forces to blame.
'European countries have been quite cautious so far, particularly Germany, because of its economic, energy and diplomatic ties with Russia, and the US has tried to encourage Europe to be tougher.
'If Moscow is found to be ultimately responsible for the provision of weapons used to bring down a commercial airliner, I think it would have a catalysing effect on the European debate. It would result in more co-ordinated European action with countries joining together to act more forcefully against Moscow.
'It will compel fence-sitting leaders like Angela Merkel to get more involved. Germany could cause real harm to the Russian economy by denying it access.'
He added: 'All the signs are pointing in a very ominous direction for Moscow. This would be an absolute disaster for Russian diplomacy, because for so long their strategy has been built around plausible deniability, ratcheting up tensions without the overt involvement of Russian forces.'
US Senator John McCain said Thursday that there would be 'hell to pay, and there should be,' if Russian forces or pro-Russian separatists in Ukraine were behind the missile attack that brought down Malaysian Airlines flight 17.
Mr McCain said: 'If it is the result of either separatist or Russian actions mistakenly believing that this is a Ukrainian warplane.'
He also slammed the White House for the shallowness of economic sanctions the US has pushed on Moscow after Putin annexed a region of Ukraine that was populated mainly by ethnic Russians.
Into a war zone: The jet was flying over the crisis-hit region of Ukraine, where the authorities have accused Russia-backed separatists of previous attacks on aircraft
Catastrophe: Fire and smoke rises from the wreckage. Ukraine President Petro Poroshenko denied his forces were involved in shooting down the plane
The aircraft, which was carrying 280 passengers and 15 crew, was flying between Amsterdam and Kuala Lumpur after taking off at lunchtime
'Terrorist act': The Ukrainian authorities laid the blame for the attack on the rebels by denying any responsibility for the missile launch
Ripped apart: Wreckage of the Malaysian Airlines flight after it crashed in rebel-held territory in Eastern Ukraine
Down: Smoke billows into the sky after a Malaysia Airlines passenger plane was shot out of the sky at 33,000ft over eastern Ukraine, killing all 298 people on board
Tragedy: TV pictures show a pall of smoke billowing into the sky apparently from the stricken aircraft
An unverified image posted online show Ukrainian inspecting what appears to be wreckage from the doomed flight
Poignant: Passports of some of the victims. Emergency services rescue worker said at least 100 bodies had so far been found at the scene near the village of Grabovo
Doomed: Flight MH17 takes off from Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam hours before it was shot down over Ukraine
SHOT OUT OF THE SKY: OTHER PASSENGER PLANES HIT MID-FLIGHT
April 20, 1978: Korean Airlines Flight 902, which diverted from its planned course on a flight from Paris to Seoul and strayed over the Soviet Union.
After being fired upon by an interceptor aircraft, the crew made a forced landing at night on the surface of a frozen lake. Two of the 97 passengers were killed by the hostile fire.
September 1, 1983: Korean Air Lines Flight 007 shot down by at least one Soviet air-to-air missile after the 747 had strayed into Soviet airspace. All 240 passengers and 29 crew were killed.
July 3, 1988: Iran Air Flight 655 Aircraft was shot down by a surface to air missile from the American naval vessel U.S.S. Vincennes. All 16 crew and 274 passengers were killed.
Fear: A relative of one suspected victim walks arrives at Schiphol airport in Amsterdam tonight
Loss: A relative struggles to contain his emotion as family members of the victims are taken away from Schiphol airport in a special bus tonight
Torment: Worried relatives are driven away from Schiphol airport by bus tonight
Overcome: A female relative of one passenger weeps as she tells reporters in Kuala Lumpur she believe a relative of hers was on Malaysia Airlines flight MH-17
Tearful: The woman reacts to news regarding the tragic plane crash in eastern Ukraine
Grief: A family member cries as she receives the news of the ill-fated flight MH17 during a phone call at Kuala Lumpur airport
Powerful: The BUK surface-to-air missile system, similar to the one pictured, that is believed to have shot down flight MH17 is an old Soviet-built weapon designed to engage light aircraft, cruise missiles and drones (file photo)
Why was MH17 flying through a warzone? European safety watchdog warned against using Ukraine airspace since APRIL
Air accident investigators are planning to inspect the proposed flight plan lodged by pilots on board Malaysia Airlines flight MH17.
The 17-year-old jet was shot down over Donetsk in Eastern Ukraine despite commercial aircraft being warned against using the airspace because of the ongoing conflict.
One of the major questions is whether the Malaysian flight crew received the warning from flight safety officials about the risk to safety.
The jet was travelling at 33,000 feet at 490 knots when it disappeared from radar screens over Donetsk.
It is believed that the Malaysia Airlines pilots ignored several warnings to avoid the airspace over Ukraine. It is understood the Malaysia Airline jet used the Ukrainian route to save fuel as diverting north or south would have taken longer.
In April, the European Aviation and Safety Agency warned: ‘Taking into consideration the recent publication by the Russian Federation of a series of notices to airmen (NOTAMs) modifying the Simferopol FIR which is under the responsibility of Ukraine, and their intent to provide air traffic services (ATS) within this airspace, the Agency draws the aviation communities’ attention to the possible existence of serious risks to the safety of international civil flights.
The doomed flight on the tarmac of Amsterdam airport just hours before it was shot down over Ukraine
‘Due to the unsafe situation where more than one ATS provider may be controlling flights within the same airspace from 3 April 2014, 0600 UTC onwards, consideration should be given to measures to avoid the airspace and circumnavigate the Simferopol FIR with alternative routings. ‘
On July 8, the State Aviation Administration of Ukraine closed its airspace to civilian aircraft after rebels shot a military transport aircraft that was flying over 20,000 feet.
The restriction, warned commercial aircraft from transiting
British aircraft were warned to avoid the area altogether. A Notice to Airmen, seen by Mail Online warned: ‘Due to the potential for conflicting air traffic control (ATC) instructions from Ukrainian and Russian authorities and for the related potential for misidentification of civil aircraft, UK aircraft operators are strongly advised to avoid, until further notice, the airspace over Crimea, the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov.’
The EASA supplied airlines with a list of alternative routes avoiding the conflict zone.
The US Federal Aviation Authority had also banned its aircraft from the Crimea region.
The suspected shooting down of a large passenger plane while flying at altitude presents airlines and their passengers with an extremely serious new development in air travel, according to aviation experts.
They also question the future of Malaysia Airlines - caught in the global glare of bad publicity following the disappearance of flight MH 370 earlier this year.
If the incident is confirmed as a deliberate act then Ukraine airspace could well be closed down, meaning diversions for UK carriers who currently fly to and over the area.
‘This could be a very serious development,’ said David Kaminski-Morrow, air transport editor of Flightglobal magazine.
He went on: ‘If reports are true, we are not talking about small-arm fire but serious weaponry. Normally even if planes fly over a war zone they can go high enough for the conflict not to be a worry.
‘Any decision about the opening or closing of Ukranian airspace will be a matter for the Ukrainians. It could well be that part or all of that airspace will now be closed.
‘Also, individual airlines, including UK carriers, could decide to detour around Ukraine.’
Mr Kaminski-Morrow continued: ‘It's really quite incredible that it should be Malaysia Airlines involved in this, after what happened earlier in the year.
‘This is not a small airline on a faraway route. This was a major airline flying from a European destination to a capital in the Far East. There must be serious concerns about how the airline can recover from this.
‘There will obviously be political as well as aviation concerns from all this. This will run and run.’
WHAT WILL MH17 MEAN FOR AIR TRAVEL, AND WHAT WILL THE FUTURE HOLD FOR MALAYSIA AIRLINES?
The suspected shooting down of a large passenger plane while flying at altitude presents airlines and their passengers with an extremely serious new development in air travel, according to aviation experts.
They also question the future of Malaysia Airlines - caught in the global glare of bad publicity following the disappearance of flight MH 370 earlier this year.
If the incident is confirmed as a deliberate act then Ukraine airspace could well be closed down, meaning diversions for UK carriers who currently fly to and over the area.
'This could be a very serious development,' said David Kaminski-Morrow, air transport editor of Flightglobal magazine.
He went on: 'If reports are true, we are not talking about small-arm fire but serious weaponry. Normally even if planes fly over a war zone they can go high enough for the conflict not to be a worry.
'Any decision about the opening or closing of Ukranian airspace will be a matter for the Ukrainians. It could well be that part or all of that airspace will now be closed.
'Also, individual airlines, including UK carriers, could decide to detour around Ukraine.'
Mr Kaminski-Morrow continued: 'It's really quite incredible that it should be Malaysia Airlines involved in this, after what happened earlier in the year.
'This is not a small airline on a faraway route. This was a major airline flying from a European destination to a capital in the Far East. There must be serious concerns about how the airline can recover from this.
'There will obviously be political as well as aviation concerns from all this. This will run and run.'
Anxious: Family members of the victims are gathering at Schiphol airport's dakotabar to wait for news of their loved ones
HIJACKINGS, CRASHES AND UNSOLVED MYSTERIES: A TIMELINE OF OTHER DISASTERS TO HIT MALAYSIA AIRLINES
December, 4 1977 - Flight MH653 was hijacked and crashed in Tanjung Kupang, Johor, killing all 100 people on board.
September 15, 1995 - Flight MH2133 touched down too far along the runway at Tawau Airport, Sabah, killing 32 passengers and two crew members.
March 15, 2000 - Flight MH85, travelling to Kuala Lumpur to Beijing, was damaged by the chemical oxalyl chloride, which leaked from canisters during unloading. The Airbus A330-300 was sufficiently damaged to be written-off.
March 8, 2014 - Fight MH370, carrying 12 Malaysian crew members and 227 passengers, went missing on a flight from Kuala Lumpur International Airport to Beijing Capital International Airport.
The Boeing 777 has still yet to be found, despite months of extensive searches in the southern Indian Ocean where it was believed to have crashed. The next phase of the search is expected to start in August and take a year, covering some 60,000 sq km at a cost of AU$60 million ($56 million) or more.
March 24, 2014 - Flight MH066, travelling from Kuala Lumper to Incheon, South Korea, was forced to make an emergency landing in Hong Kong after its main electricity generator failed.
Passengers onboard the flight later revealed they were told to prepare for an emergency water landing. However, the plane landed safely in Hong Kong in the early hours of the morning.
April 21, 2014 - Flight MH192, carrying 166 people, was forced to turn back to Kuala Lumpur while flying to India after a tyre burst and the right-hand landing gear malfunctioned. Police later confirmed an investigation had begun into whether the flight had been interfered with before take-off.
April 24, 2014 - A plane belonging to Firefly Airlines (a subsidiary of Malaysia Airlines) was forced to return to Penang after suffering problems with its landing gear.
A statement on the company's website said: 'This was because the aircraft's landing gear was unable to retract after being airborne. As safety is of utmost priority to Firefly Airlines, the aircraft was required to turn back to Penang.'
July 17, 2014 - Flight MH17 was shot down on the Russian-Ukraine border, killing all 298 people on board.
No comments:
Post a Comment