MOSCOW, July 25 (RIA Novosti) – The Netherlands is sending 40 unarmed police to secure the crash site of the Malaysian passenger plane in eastern Ukraine, Agence France-Presse has reported citing the Dutch prime minister.
"We're examining means to further stabilize the surroundings… it requires international discussions, it requires a legal mandate," the agency quoted Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte as saying.
A team of 23 investigators is due to be sent to the area, to be accompanied by 40 unarmed royal military policemen, Rutte said. Police will be tasked with helping to recover bodies, he said, also describing the security situation in the area as "changing."
Media reports said the Netherlands and Australia are drafting a new UN Security Council resolution to allow armed police or troops to secure the MH17 crash site. The minister has declined to comment on the report.
A Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777 heading from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur crashed July 17 near the city of Donetsk in Ukraine, killing all 298 people on board. The UN Security Council condemned the downing of the passenger plane and unanimously voted in support of a thorough and independent international investigation of the incident. The Dutch Safety Board (DSB) has formally taken over the investigation.
