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MH17 plane crash: Victims begin journey home from Ukraine MH17 plane crash: Victims begin journey home from Ukraine
(35 minutes later)
The first planes carrying victims' bodies from crashed flight MH17 have left Ukraine for the Netherlands, where experts will begin to identify them. The first planes carrying bodies from flight MH17 have left Ukraine for the Netherlands, which is holding a day of mourning for the 298 victims.
Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte will meet the planes in Eindhoven, amid a national day of mourning. Experts there will begin to identify the dead, most of whom were Dutch.
A total of 200 bodies have so far been accounted for from the 298 victims, 193 of whom were Dutch nationals. Pro-Russian rebels have been widely accused of shooting down the Malaysia Airlines plane on 17 July.
The US says it believes pro-Russian rebels shot down the Malaysia Airlines passenger plane on 17 July by mistake. UK government sources say intelligence shows rebels deliberately tampered with evidence, moving bodies and placing parts from other planes in the debris.
The rebels, who control the area around the crash site, have also been accused of stalling the release of the bodies and tampering with evidence. US intelligence officials had earlier released evidence to the media that they said showed the separatists' involvement in downing the plane.
A refrigerated train carriage carrying about 200 bodies arrived at the government-held city of Kharkiv on Tuesday, four days after the crash. They were also accused of exaggerating the number of bodies transported from the crash site to the town of Kharkiv on Tuesday.
Experts said they would continue to search the crash site. Rebels had claimed 282 bodies had been loaded on to a train, but experts said only 200 could be verified.
On Wednesday morning, 40 coffins were slowly loaded on to two military planes at Kharkiv airport. The first 40 coffins were slowly loaded on to two military planes at Kharkiv airport on Wednesday morning by a military guard of honour.
The BBC's Daniel Sandford in Kharkiv says ambassadors, officials and soldiers gathered to see off the planes. Ambassadors, officials and soldiers gathered to see off the planes.
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".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".
Dutch government representative Hans Docter said the victims had begun their "long journey" home.Dutch government representative Hans Docter said the victims had begun their "long journey" home.
The first flight is due to arrive in Eindhoven at 16:00 local time (14:00 GMT) and will be met by members of the Dutch royal family and Prime Minister Rutte. The first flight is due to arrive in Eindhoven at 16:00 local time (14:00 GMT) and will be met by members of the Dutch royal family and Prime Minister Mark Rutte.
Churches around the Netherlands will ring their bells for five minutes before the planes land.Churches around the Netherlands will ring their bells for five minutes before the planes land.
The bodies are then due to be taken to the Korporaal van Oudheusden barracks south of Hilversum for identification.The bodies are then due to be taken to the Korporaal van Oudheusden barracks south of Hilversum for identification.
Mr Rutte said that process could take months.Mr Rutte said that process could take months.
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.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.
In Washington, officials from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence presented evidence they had gathered on the involvement of the rebels. 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.
He said they had pulled back and were prepared to defend their positions.
And Ukrainian officials confirmed to the BBC that two aircraft, thought to be military jets, had been downed just 35km (20 miles) from the crash site.
The officials had no information on the cause of the crashes, or the fate of the pilots.
The fighting in eastern Ukraine erupted in April and is believed to have claimed more than 1,000 lives.
Separately, 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.
He said his commanders had told him: "We've just shot down one of the Kiev fascists' planes."
The militiaman said: "We thought we were looking for baled-out Ukrainian pilots but instead we found dead civilians."
Earlier in Washington, officials from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence 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" for the shooting down of the plane was that rebels mistook it for another aircraft.
The evidence they presented included:The evidence they presented included:
Separately, a rebel militiaman told Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera that he had been ordered to the crash site minutes after the plane had gone down.
He said his commanders had told him: "We've just shot down one of the Kiev fascists' planes."
The militiaman said: "We thought we were looking for baled-out Ukrainian pilots but instead we found dead civilians."
The US and other nations have accused rebels of blocking access to the crash site, putting valuable evidence at risk.
In Australia, former American President Bill Clinton paid tribute to six HIV/Aids campaigners who were on board MH17.In Australia, former American President Bill Clinton paid tribute to six HIV/Aids campaigners who were on board MH17.
He said their lives had been "overpowering in their contribution to a shared future".He said their lives had been "overpowering in their contribution to a shared future".
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.
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.