Russia 'Must Reflect' On Shooting Down Of Plane

Britain has said it is "clear" where responsibility for the shooting down of a passenger plane with 298 people on board lies, saying Russia must "reflect carefully on the situation it has created".

Peter Wilson, the UK's representative to the UN, told a Security Council meeting "searching questions" need to be asked, adding: "Let us hear clear and unequivocal condemnation of the attack from Russia."

It came as 80 children were confirmed among the victims of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17, which was brought down over Ukraine.

An emergency worker at the scene of the crash

Some 10 Britons were killed, including two football fans who were travelling to see their team play in New Zealand.

The UN demanded a "full, thorough and independent international investigation" into what caused the crash, as the row over who was responsible intensified.

The US believes the aircraft was hit by a missile launched from an area of eastern Ukraine held by pro-Russian separatists.

Flames rise from wreckage of the Malaysia Airlines jet

Samantha Power, Washington's ambassador to the UN, said that hours before the disaster, rebels were spotted with a ground-to-air missile system close to where the plane came down.

"It is unlikely the separatists could effectively operate that system without assistance from knowledgeable personnel, thus we cannot rule out technical assistance from Russia," she added.

However, the Russian defence ministry reportedly pointed the finger at its neighbour, saying it picked up radar activity from a Ukrainian Buk missile system south of Donetsk when the aircraft came down.

The plane, a Boeing 777, was heading from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur at an altitude of 33,000ft (10,000m) when contact was lost on Thursday afternoon, close to the border with Russia.

It crashed near the village of Grabovo, Donetsk, in an area where Ukrainian forces have been fighting the rebels.

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko said the crash was an "act of terrorism", as the country's security service released what it claimed was a recording of an intercepted phone call between two Russian military intelligence officers, discussing the downing of the plane.

Flight MH17 taking off at Schiphol Airport in the Netherlands

In an unverified video apparently taken moments after the plane was hit, a man thought to be a pro-Russian rebel boasts: "Wow, that was a blast."

However, Russian President Vladimir Putin, who called for a ceasefire between the warring sides in the months-long conflict, said: "The state over whose territory this occurred bears responsibility."

Meanwhile, Sky's Katie Stallard said Igor Strelkov, the commander of the pro-Russian Donetsk People's Republic, appeared to have referred to the incident on social media.

L-R: Britons Richard Mayne, Ben Pocock, Glenn Thomas and Liam Sweeney

In one deleted message recovered by Sky News, he allegedly wrote: "We warned you not to fly over our sky."

Among the British victims of the crash were Glenn Thomas and Richard Mayne, as well as Newcastle United supporters John Alder and Liam Sweeney.

Prime Minister David Cameron called the catastrophe "an absolutely appalling, shocking, horrific incident".

Armed Russian separatists inspect the wreckage

The cockpit and one of the turbines were found over half a mile apart, and residents said the tail was six miles away, indicating the aircraft most likely broke up before hitting the ground.

Many of the bodies strewn across the fields were largely intact, some of them still strapped into their seats.

People who live in the area have described seeing bodies falling through the sky.

The wreckage was scattered over a wide area

Pro-Russian separatists said they found one of the "black box" recorders, while rescue workers have recovered a second flight recorder.

Malaysia Airlines, still reeling from the loss of flight MH370, has said the route taken by flight MH17 had been declared safe by civil aviation authorities.

:: Malaysia Airlines has set up an emergency line, 00 6 037 884 1234, for worried relatives, while the Foreign Office helpline is 0207 008 1500.

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