Australian PM blames Russia-backed rebels for MH17 crash

In a statement in Parliament addressed to the Speaker, Abbott said "this is a grim day for our country and it’s a grim day for our world."

"Malaysia Airlines MH17 has been shot down over the Eastern Ukraine it seems by Russian backed rebels," he said adding that the 298 dead included at least 27 Australians.

"As things stand, Madam Speaker, this looks less like an accident than a crime. I want to repeat this: as things stand, this looks less like an accident than a crime. If so, the perpetrators must be brought to justice.

"So I can inform the House that as quickly as possible Australia will be working at the United Nations Security Council for a binding resolution calling for a full and impartial investigation with full access to the site, with full access to the debris, with full access to the black box and with full access to all individuals who might be in a position to shed light on this terrible event," he said.

"I can also inform the House that the Minister for Foreign Affairs will shortly summons the Russian Ambassador to seek a categoric assurance from the Ambassador that the Russian government will fully cooperate in this investigation.

He condoled the tragedy.

"Our hearts go out to the families of all the dead. Our thoughts and prayers especially are with the families of the Australian dead.

"We can’t restore them to life but we can and will do everything to support them in this sad and bitter time because that is the Australian way – we help in times of trouble," he said.

He said a Department of Foreign Affairs team is preparing to leave for Kiev. "Next of kin and families will be notified as soon as possible. They’ll be offered counselling and assistance and bodies will be repatriated to Australia as quickly as possible," he said.

"Madam Speaker, we owe it as well to the families of the dead to find out exactly what has happened and exactly who is responsible," he said.

"...we owe it to the dead and their families, we owe it to the peace and stability of the wider world to establish the facts and we will do all we humanly can to bring that about," he said.

"Let me conclude with this: the bullying of small countries by big ones, the trampling of justice and decency in the pursuit of national aggrandisement and reckless indifference to human life should have no place in our world," said Abbott.

Russia backed anti-Ukraine rebel military chief Igor  Strelkov has posted in social media that they have shot down the Malaysian Airlines plane with 295 people on board in eastern Ukraine.

According to The Daily Telegraph, he has allegedly been filmed in a mobile phone video of MH17 plane as it crashed, gleefully bragging “That was a blast — look at the smoke!”.

On his VK.com account, which the Russian version of Facebook, Igor Girkin or Igor Strelkov, who proclaims himself as the defense minister of the Donetsk People’s Republic, claimed downing the plane.

"We did warn you — do not fly in our sky," he wrote.

According to media reports on Mashable, a voice believed to be that of Strelkov — dubbed ‘Igor the Terrible’ — announced: “The plane was hit!”   “Look at those black spots, these are the parts flying … it was a blast … look, look, black smoke!”

The Malaysian plane MH17 with 298 people on board which crashed in eastern Ukraine on Thursday  was shot down with a a surface-to-air missile, reports emerging out from the global community said now, amid a clamour for a full international investigation by various countries.

The flight was on its way from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur when in crashed in a ball of fire with the global community now certain that it was shot down by Russian-backed rebels in the conflict zone between the ultras and the government of Ukraine.

The plane crashed near Hrabove village near Ukraine's border with Russia near the regional capital of Donetsk. The area is witnessing rebel groups backed by Russia fighting the Ukraine government forces.