Reacting to the crash of flight MH17 the US has said evidence points to it being shot down. Us President Barack Obama made the announcement at a press conference earlier today:
“Evidence indicates that the plane was shot down by a surface-to-air missile that was launched from an area that is controlled by Russian-backed separatists inside of Ukraine. We also know that this is not the first time a plane has been shot down in eastern Ukraine. Moreover, we know that these separatists have received a steady flow of support from Russia.”
The tragic loss of life has intensified a war of words between Ukraine and Russia, with Moscow strongly rebuking Kyiv as it decries Russian-backed rebels.
Vitaly Churkin, Russia’s ambassador to the UN, had these words for the international community: “We place all blame on the Kyiv government and call for the Ukrainian side to take decisive measures to stem such incidents in the future.”
Behind the ratcheting up of rhetoric, the international community now stresses a thorough investigation of the crash site is paramount.
