UN Security Council Demands Access to Ukraine Plane Crash Site; Finds Cockpit Sawed in Half

Teresa Neumann : Jul 22, 2014
Staff – Thomas/Reuters

The resolution "supports efforts to establish a full, thorough, and independent international investigation into the incident in accordance with international civil aviation guidelines" and "demands that all States... refrain from acts of violence directed against civilian aircraft."

(New York, NY)—The UN Security Council has condemned the downing of Malaysian Airlines flight MH17 and demanded that armed groups allow "safe, secure, full, and unrestricted access" to the crash site. (Photo via USA Today)

The unanimously adopted resolution was reportedly drafted by Australia, which lost 28 of its citizens in the crash. They demanded that those responsible "be held to account and that all states cooperate fully with efforts to establish accountability."

"We owe it to the victims and their families to determine what happened and who was responsible," said Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop.

Numerous reports noted that Russia voted in favor of the resolution only after some changes were made, specifically that the horrific catastrophe be termed a "downing" rather than "shooting down."

Also, a request made by Moscow to have references to armed groups being removed from the wording was not granted.

UPDATE: According to a USA Today report; International monitors who have finally gained full access to the Malaysia Airlines crash site in eastern Ukraine said Tuesday the Boeing 777's cockpit inexplicably had been sawed in half while under the control of Russian-backed separates.