NATO warned about presence of missiles in 'rebel-held' Eastern Ukraine

A report has recently revealed that NATO had announced publically that the pro-Russian separatists in Ukraine are in possession of missile systems more than two weeks before flight MH17 was shot in the rebel-held region of Donetsk.

The warning however, was not heeded by the International Civil Aviation Authority (ICAO), whose duty is to warn domestic aviation authorities of danger in the skies, reported the Daily Express.

The report revealed that General Philip M Breedlove, NATO's Supreme Allied Commander in Europe, had said in an announcement in Washington on June 30 that NATO had seen tanks, APCs, anti-aircraft capability, vehicle-borne capability on both the east and the west side of the Russian border.

A NATO spokesperson however, added that issuing security warnings to civil aviation is not a prerogative of the organization and hence, no formal warning was issued. He also revealed that several Ukrainian military aircrafts had been downed before MH17 was shot.

A spokesperson for Malaysia Airlines confirmed that the airline was not issued any warning on flying in eastern Ukraine and the route taken by the aircraft was declared safe by the apex civil aviation body.