Separatist rebels in Ukraine, loyal to Russia, claim to have found the “black box” of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17, and would be sending the flight recorder to Moscow. Meanwhile, another flight recorder has been reported to have been discovered at the crash site near Grabovo.
Russian news agency Interfax reports that First Deputy Prime Minister of the breakaway Donetsk Republic, Andriy Purgin, said the black box found by rebels under his command would be sent to Moscow for examination.
“Of course, we most likely will give them to the Interstate Aviation Committee (IAC), to Moscow. They are highly qualified experts who will be able to accurately determine the cause of the disaster, even though it is so clear,” he said, as reported by The Rakyat Post.
A Reuters cameraman at the Grabovo crash site reports that another flight recorder from Flight MH17 has been found.
Whoever has possession of the black box will be able to control the amount and the nature of information that is released in regards to what happened in the aircraft leading to the crash.
Ukrainian authorities have pegged separatist rebel forces as being responsible for the downing of Flight MH17 over eastern Ukraine. The state security agency, known as the SBU, released an edited version of audio tapes allegedly between separatist rebels and members of Russian military intelligence implicating rebels in shooting down the jetliner.
Ukraine’s government also claims to experience difficulties in sending recovery teams to the MH17 crash site, as the area is currently under rebel control.
Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 was en route from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur when it crashed late last night over Ukraine, with debris landing near the town of Grabovo. The Boeing 777 jetliner was carrying 283 passengers and 15 crew members.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak stated at a press conference in KLIA this morning that the Ukrainian government believes Flight MH17 was shot down.
Folliwng the crash, Malaysia Airlines has announced it would reroute all its flights to and from Europe to avoid Ukrainian airspace, with immediate effect.
See Also:
Reports: Malaysian airliner crashes in Ukraine
Ukraine minister: Malaysia Air flight MH17 shot down
Reuters: “Burning wreckage, dozens of bodies” at MH17 crash site in Ukraine
Alleged images of Flight MH17 crash site emerge on social media
MH17: Malaysia Airlines to reroute European flights immediately
Ukraine government releases audio implicating rebels and Russian intelligence in MH17 crash
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