International investigators continue to comb the field at the Malaysia Airlines plane crash site. Nearby fierce fighting rages between Ukrainian troops and anti-government forces. And it’s driving more and more residents in Luhansk and Donetsk to flee to Crimea.
The Dutch-led international team of over 100 experts, once again, searched away as the detector dogs sniffed around at the crash site of the Malaysia Airlines flight 17.
The intense heat and the continuing fighting in nearby areas is no obstacle for the expert team, determined to continue their investigation. However at various times, the team was forced to halt due to safety concerns.
On Monday, a flight was scheduled to leave for the Netherlands with the newly recovered human remains and the personal belongings of the MH17 victims.
"This flight will transport what was recovered on Friday and Saturday, and the DNA material that have been stored in a mortuary in Donetsk," Head of Dutch Police Delegation Pieter-Jaap Aalbergsberg said.
Meanwhile the Ukrainian military continued to advance in the East, reaching Yasynovata town, located strategically near Donetsk city.
This position allows the Ukrainian forces to block one of the main channels used for the delivery of weapons and technical support by the separatists from the North.
While the Ukrainian Defense ministry is confident victory will soon be theirs, it was reported that a group of Ukrainian soldiers were forced to retreat into Russian territory because they ran out of ammunition.
"Both representatives of the Ukrainian army and border guards have crossed into Russia, but we have no information suggesting they have asked for asylum. We are making all efforts to get them back into Ukraine," Spokesman for Ukrainian Nat'l Security and Defense Council Andriy Lysenko said.
"Though the Ukrainian military is optimistic, the fight will end soon, many civilians have been taking a hit in the process. 9 civilians were reported killed over the weekend, and hundreds continue to flee the region of Luhansk and Donetsk.