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11/02/2024 11:31:35 am

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Ukrainian Troops Battles Pro-Russian Rebels To Secure MH17 Crash Site

Australian police in Ukraine

(Photo : REUTERS/Valentyn Ogirenko) Members of the Australian police mission walk to a bus after arriving at Kharkiv airport last week, before proceeding to the crash site of MH17, where government forces now are battling separatists to gain control.

Ukrainian troops and pro-Russia separatists groups are fighting over who controls the MH17 crash site so that international investigators can inspect the area.

Andriy Lusenko, spokesman for the Ukrainian Security Council, told Reuters that Ukrainian troops aim to secure the area for the investigators to examine.

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"Our military is moving fast forward and have already taken more than half of the area," Lusenko said.

On Sunday, a Dutch-led team of investigators had to cancel their visit to the site because of heavy fighting in the area. It is possible that the conflict might lead to the destruciton of site evidence.

"We decided to wait until Monday. The situation at the site is not safe," Alexander Hug, deputy head of Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, told reporters.

In a statement, Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak expressed his concern when separatist leader Alexander Borodai did not grant investigators site access.

"I believe that all the victims onboard the MH 17 should be treated with proper respect," Razak said. "This implies, that all the remains of the victims can be removed and repatriated." 

Discussions have been ongoing whether a joint military mission between The Netherlands, Australia and Malaysia should be sent to Ukraine to secure the crash site.

However, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte concluded after a meeting Sunday with his ministers that a military mission in the area would involve to big a risk.

"With an international military mission in this area, we would risk getting involved in the conflict," Rutte told AFP.

Instead, an unarmed police force from Netherlands and Australia will be added to those already 170 Australian police deployed in Ukraine.

"Our goal is to get in. Do what we should and then get out again," Tony Abbot, Prime Minister of Australia told the press in Canberra.

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