International police to be deployed at MH17 crash site

Ukrainian rebels have allowed international police personnel to secure the investigating team working on MH17 crash site in a new agreement finalised with Malaysia, a prime minister's office statement said Sunday.

Alexander Borodai, leader of the Ukrainian rebels, agreed Sunday to allow a deployment of international police personnel at the crash site, in a new agreement with Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak, Xinhua reported citing the statement.

Najib also spoke to his counterparts of the Netherlands and Australia Sunday, and all of them agreed to work closely in deploying the police personnel, the statement said.

Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott Friday said his country's military personnel along with armed police would be deployed to secure the MH17 crash site in eastern Ukraine.

As many as 68 Malaysian police personnel would leave Kuala Lumpur for the crash site Wednesday as part of the international deployment, the PM office said.

"Malaysian officials are discussing the details of the police deployment with the Netherlands and Australia," it said, adding that Malaysian Foreign Minister Anifah Aman was speaking to his international counterparts and officials from the Ukrainian government on the legal and diplomatic framework for the deployment.

Najib said Sunday that the Netherlands, Australia and Malaysia formed a coalition to secure the site.

Najib would visit the Netherlands Wednesday and meet his counterpart Mark Rutte to discuss the MH17 crash.

Flight MH17, a Boeing 777, was flying from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur when it crashed on being hit by a missile in Ukraine near the Russian border July 17, killing all 298 passengers and crew on board.