MH17: Ukraine committed to assist international teams gain safe access to crash site

Defence Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussien said that the Ukraine government has reaffirmed its commitment in assisting international teams gain safe access to the crash site of the downed Malaysia Airlines (MAS) flight MH17.

He said in a meeting, Ukraine vice prime minister Volodymyr Groysman said Ukraine fully supported the efforts taken by Netherlands, Australia and Malaysia towards resumption of the search, recovery and investigation operations at the crash site.

“During the meeting, Groysman and myself recognised the urgency of obtaining as much evidence as possible and recover the remaining bodies from the crash site due to the onset of winter,” he said in a press statement today.

He added that the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) Ertugul Apakan who briefed him on the current situation in eastern Ukraine, had also reaffirmed his commitment to assist the international team to gain early safe access to the crash site.

In the meeting with the CIJTF, we have agreed to work together on the likely time frame and possible areas for re-entry,” he said.

The OSCE, the world's largest security-oriented intergovernmental organisation, has been instrumental in assisting all stakeholders involved to safely enter the MH17 crash site.

“In the meeting with the CIJTF, we have agreed to work together on the likely time frame and possible areas for re-entry,” he said.

He said he and the Ukraine’s Defence Minister Valeriy Heletey agreed on the need to conduct a final comb of the crash site as soon as possible before winter sets in.

“In order to enhance military-to-military cooperation, I have also decided that a Defence Attache from the Ministry of Defence Malaysia will be posted to Ukraine in the near future,” he said.

He said Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Pavlo Klimkin had also reasserted his government’s commitment on matters regarding the MH17 incident.

Hishammuddin said he will be leaving for Moscow, Russia with his delegation today where meetings with Russia's Deputy Foreign Minister and the Russian Defence Minister, Army General S. Shogyu has been arranged tomorrow.

MH17 carrying 298 passengers and crewmen was shot down on July 17.