MOSCOW, July 21 (RIA Novosti) - The train carrying the bodies of the Malaysian Boeing 777 crash victims has departed from the train station in eastern Ukrainian city of Torez, heading toward Ilovaisk in Donetsk region, self-defense forces protecting the train told RIA Novosti.
The representatives of the self-defense forces added that they were unaware of who ordered the train to depart, as lots of the victims’ personal belongings were left on the railway platform.
The Malaysian government delegation is waiting for the train in Donetsk, and will then move the train to the territory controlled by the Ukrainian government and then to Amsterdam.
Malaysia Airlines' flight MH17 en route from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur crashed on July 17 near the city of Donetsk in eastern Ukraine. 298 people on board the Boeing 777 died, including 283 passengers and 15 crew members.
Ukrainian authorities place the blame for the crash on independence supporters in the country’s eastern regions, while the latter maintain they do not have the means to shoot down a plane flying that high.
Russia urged not to use the crash for political goals and called for a thorough investigation.
«Speaking about the terrible tragic events that occurred in the sky above Donetsk, I would like to say once again how we in Russia treat these events that today happen in Ukraine. We have repeatedly called on all the conflicting sides to immediately stop bloodshed and sit down at the negotiating table," Prussian President Vladimir Putin told Rossiya 24 television channel Monday.
Russia also believes that the investigation into the Boeing crash should be led by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).
