UNITED NATIONS, July 22 (RIA Novosti) – Russia has called on the UN Security Council to abstain from making hasty conclusions until the investigation into the crash of a Malaysian passenger plane in eastern Ukraine ends, the country’s envoy to the UN said.
“It is important to refrain from hasty conclusions and politicized statements,” Vitaly Churkin said.
Churkin said Kiev is trying to use the situation when the international community is shocked by the tragic accident for “boosting its punitive operation in the country’s east.”
“Towns are hit by nonselective artillery shelling and airstrikes, dozens of civilian citizens are killed,” Churkin said.
The diplomat also recalled the October 2001 incident when Ukraine’s military shot down over the Black Sea a Russian Tupolev Tu-154 en route from Novosibirsk to Tel Aviv, killing 64 passengers and 12 crew members.
Ukraine had then denied the responsibility of its armed forces until Russia presented irrefutable evidence that the aircraft had been hit by a Ukrainian ground-to-air missile.
“The circumstances that became evident shortly were confirmed by an independent international probe. However, Ukraine still refuses to admit its legal responsibility,” Churkin said.
The diplomat said giving Kiev a leading role in investigating the July 17 crash would be “light-minded” taking into consideration Ukraine’s reluctance to be responsible for its actions.
The Malaysia Airlines' passenger plane was flying from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur on July 17 when it crashed near Donetsk in eastern Ukraine. All 298 people on board the airliner died, including 283 passengers and 15 crew members.
Ukrainian government and militia have been trading blame for the alleged downing of the airliner ever since reports suggested foul play, with independence supporters saying they have no required technology to shoot a target at altitude of 10 kilometers (6.2 miles).
The UN Security Council adopted a resolution Monday demanding that those responsible for this incident be held to account and all military activities be immediately ceased near the crash site to allow for security and safety of the international probe.
