Russia 'Must Reflect' On Shooting Down Of Plane

Britain has said it is "clear" where responsibility for the shooting down of a packed passenger plane lies, as the US said it cannot rule out Russian involvement in the crash.

Peter Wilson, the UK's representative to the UN, said Russia must "reflect carefully on the situation it has created", adding: "Let us hear clear and unequivocal condemnation of the attack."

It came as 80 children were confirmed among the victims of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17, which was brought down over Ukraine with 298 people, including 192 Dutch, 10 Britons and one Irish national, on board.

L-R: British victims Richard Mayne, Ben Pocock, Glenn Thomas, Liam Sweeney

The plane's black box recorders have been found but debris is scattered across such a remote and dangerous part of Ukraine that the "full, thorough and independent" investigation demanded by the UN is yet to begin.

Sky's Chief Correspondent Stuart Ramsay, who was one of the first foreign journalists to reach the crash site near Grabovo, Donetsk, said: "Wreckage, bodies and body parts are spread over fields and villages for miles around.

"Volunteers have been marking the locations of dead passengers and crew with sticks and white ribbons."

Debris from flight MH17 has been scattered over a vast area

The plane, a Boeing 777, was heading from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur at an altitude of 33,000ft (10,000m) when contact was lost on Thursday afternoon.

It happened above an area where Ukrainian forces have been battling rebel fighters.

As the row over who is responsible for the attack intensified, the US said it believes the aircraft was hit by a rocket launched from an area of eastern Ukraine held by pro-Russian separatists.

Samantha Power, Washington's ambassador to the UN, said that hours before the disaster, rebels were spotted with a ground-to-air missile system close to where the plane came down.

"It is unlikely the separatists could effectively operate that system without assistance from knowledgeable personnel, thus we cannot rule out technical assistance from Russia," she added.

However, the Russian defence ministry reportedly pointed the finger at its neighbour, saying it picked up radar activity from a Ukrainian Buk missile system south of Donetsk when the aircraft came down.

Children's toys lie among the wreckage of the Malaysia Airlines plane

Russian President Vladimir Putin added: "The state over whose territory this occurred bears responsibility."

Ukraine said the crash was an "act of terrorism" and released what it claimed was a recording of an intercepted phone call between two Russian military intelligence officers, discussing the downing of the plane.

In an unverified video apparently taken moments after the plane was hit, a man thought to be a pro-Russian rebel boasts: "Wow, that was a blast."

Sticks and white ribbons have been used to mark the locations of victims

US President Barack Obama said the truth would be exposed and demanded investigators be given unrestricted access to the crash site.

The cockpit and one of the turbines were found over half a mile apart, with the tail reportedly landing six miles away, suggesting the aircraft broke up before hitting the ground.

Of the bodies strewn across the fields, many were largely intact, with some still strapped into seats.

Flames rise from the wreckage of the Malaysia Airlines jet

Condemning what he called an "outrage of unspeakable proportions", Mr Obama said: "This is a global tragedy - an Asian airliner destroyed in European skies, with citizens from many countries on board."

Malaysia Airlines, still reeling from the loss of flight MH370 in March, said the plane was on a safe route, following speculation it had flown into airspace deemed dangerous for civilian aircraft.

Analysis by Sky News revealed it was in the same area as four other plane when it was brought down.

Flight MH17 taking off at Schiphol Airport in the Netherlands

More than 800 jets have flown through airspace above eastern Ukraine since Monday, some of which strayed into the no-fly zone.

:: Malaysia Airlines has set up an emergency line, 00 6 037 884 1234, for worried relatives, while the Foreign Office helpline is 0207 008 1500.

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