Putin blames Ukraine for loss of Flight MH17 with 298 innocent souls but DOESN’T deny Russian separatists shot it down with missile — as McCain warns there will be ‘Hell to pay’

Russian President Vladimir has blamed Ukraine for the Malaysian Airlines tragedy that claimed the lives of all 298 people on board, including around 100 children — but didn’t deny Russian-backed separatists were to blame for shooting it out of the sky.

Flight MH17, a Boeing 777-200 aircraft on its way from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur, exploded into flames at 33,000ft as it was hit by a sophisticated surface-to-air missile over territory near Donetsk held by pro-Russian rebels.

Dutch authorities have said that at least nine Britons, 154 Dutch, 27 Australians were among the dead. The nationalities of 41 people on board have not been confirmed. Earlier it was feared that 23 Americans had perished based on a Reuters report, but there has been no confirmation of any U.S. deaths since then from the State Department.

As shocking pictures of bodies and debris emerged, the tragedy sparked a full-blown international crisis last night, increasing tension between Moscow and Washington.

Mr Putin said: ‘This tragedy would not have happened if there were peace on this land, if the military actions had not been renewed in south-east Ukraine. And, certainly, the state over whose territory this occurred bears responsibility for this awful tragedy.’

But Ukrainian authorities laid the blame for the attack on the rebels — loyal to Russia’s claims on Ukrainian territory and who have been locked in battle with Ukrainian forces in the past few months.

President Petro Poroshenko called the downing an act of terrorism as he called for an international investigation into the crash.

A Ukrainian newspaper published what it said was recordings of phone conversations, firstly between Russian intelligence officers and secondly between separatist commanders.  They have not been independently verified.

In the first, Igor Bezler, who the Ukrainians claim is a Russian intelligence officer and leading commander of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic, tells a commander: ‘We have just shot down a plane’ about ’30 minutes ago’.

In the second, more detailed recording, a rebel nicknamed ‘Major’ says the Malaysian Airlines jet was shot down by ‘Cossacks from the Chernukhino roadblock’ adding: ‘It is definitely a civilian plane… there was a lot of people on board.’

‘Major’ tells a comrade with the codename ‘Greek’ it was ‘100 per cent a passenger (civilian) aircraft’.

Greek asked: ‘What kind of aircraft?’ to which Major responded: ‘I haven’t ascertained this. I haven’t been to the main site. I am only surveying the scene where the first bodies fell. There are the remains of internal brackets, seats and bodies.’

Greek, still hoping at that point a military craft had been downed, said: ‘Is there anything left of the weapon?’

‘Major’: ‘Absolutely nothing. Civilian items, medicinal stuff, towels, toilet paper.’

Greek: ‘Are there documents?’

Major: ‘Yes, of one Indonesian student. From a university in Thompson.’

Source: Daily Mail