MH 17 crash: Russia favours 'full-fledged and unbiased' probe

Beijing, Nov 10 (IANS/TASS) Russian President Vladimir Putin Monday stressed the need for a "full-fledged and unbiased investigation" into the incident in which Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 crashed in Ukraine in July this year.

"Russia, just like Malaysia, insists on the full-fledged, unbiased and all-embracing investigation into this catastrophe in full compliance with the UN Security Council resolution," Putin was quoted by news agency TASS as saying.

The aircraft, carrying 298 people, was en route from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur July 17 when it crashed in Ukraine's eastern Donetsk region, about 60 km from the Russian border.

All passengers and crew members onboard the Boeing 777-200 died. Of the passengers, 193 were Dutch citizens.

The crash occurred in the zone of combat operations between the Donetsk self-defence forces and the Ukrainian army.

However, Putin refuted claims that the territory of the crash is under the control of the pro-Russian separatists as "absolutely ungrounded".

--IANS/TASS

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