Official statement from Russian Defense Ministry in connection with Boeing 777 crash

The Defense Ministry of the Russian Federation released the following statement in connection with the crash of Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777. "In view of the objective investigation of the air crash of the Boeing 777 that crashed on the territory of Ukraine, it is necessary to conduct thorough investigation with the involvement of representatives of all interested international organizations. According to the Russian Defense Ministry, there are units of the Ukrainian Armed Forces on the disaster area; the units are armed with anti-aircraft missile systems Buk-M1. In the area of northwestern outskirts of Donetsk, divisions of the 156th anti-aircraft missile regiment of the Armed Forces of Ukraine are deployed, with 27 Buk M1 complexes. These complexes, on their tactical and technical characteristics, are capable of detecting air targets at distances of up to 160 kilometers and striking them at all altitudes at a range of over 30 kilometers. Moreover, in the skies over the Donetsk region, aircraft of the Ukrainian Air Force equipped with different types of missiles are constantly present. This is an undeniable fact. "Statements from official Kiev saying that those complexes or aircraft did not open fire on air targets raise serious doubts. In such a short period of time, making such unequivocal conclusions under the conditions of fierce fighting in the area is impossible. Such responsible statements that entail serious legal consequences, require full investigation. "In connection with all sorts of insinuations concerning the actions of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation on the border regions of Ukraine, we herewith responsibly declare that: "On July 17, air defense systems of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation were not working in the area. "The aircraft of the Air Force of the Russia were not performing any sorties on July 17 in the regions bordering on the Donetsk region. "This information is fully confirmed by means of objective control. "One should pay attention to the fact that Boeing 777 was conducting the flight beyond the range of air defense systems of the Russian Federation. The aircraft was flying in the airspace of Ukraine, under the control of its air traffic management system. "We urge the international community to conduct thorough investigation of the disaster."

Ukraine false flag planned? Is NATO preparing for a war against Russia?

False flag events are the new modus operandi of NATO and its allies, as we have witnessed in recent years, the most blatant example of which was provided in Libya before the FUKUS Axis (France-UK-US) again breached international law and slaughtered civilians. Another is planned in Ukraine to blame Russia? By now it is perfectly clear that the West has lumped Russia and NovoRossiya Resistance Forces/Freedom Fighters together into an anti-western block, and prepares to consider NovoRossiya Resistance Forces/Freedom Fighters as a terrorist organization. But what to expect from a west that supported terrorist forces in Libya, on their own lists of proscribed groups, what to expect from a west that has used terrorists in Syria? In this column more than once I have spoken about planned false flag events in Libya and in Syria, including the chemical weapons attack by western-backed anti-Assad forces which eventually committed the crime, using chemical weapons to serve as a causus belli against President Assad. Only the swift action of President Putin avoided a bloodbath in Syria in which NATO would have become willingly involved. Surprise, surprise, because Russia has a Mediterranean naval base in Syria and surprise, surprise, Russia has a major naval base in Crimea. Once again, only swift action from President Putin avoided the Putsch forces in Kiev (which ousted President Yanukovich, the democratically elected Head of State, illegally) handing over the base to their NATO masters. Now the attempt to grab Syria has failed, now the attempt to grab the Crimea has failed, NATO starts to play dirty. As I write, there is a plan for a build-up of NATO military forces in Szczecin, Poland, one of the willing New Poodles in central Europe. This, as bellicose rumors circulate in the US Congress against Russia. And now the cherry on the cake, another alleged false flag event planned, more specifically plans for a series of terrorist operations perpetrated in Ukraine by forces loyal to the Poroshenko Junta, to then blame the Resistance and, predictably, Moscow. If this comes after Ukraine is given special status as an ally of NATO, it might be taken as justification for a strike against Russia by this Terrorist Organization. Yesterday, Resistance spokesperson Anton Guryanov issued the following statement: "According to our information, the Nazis of the Kiev Junta are planning to conduct a major terrorist act in the next several days. Or a series of terrorist acts. On the territory of Ukraine". "For the past several days, Mr. Avakov and his assistant Shkiryak have been conducting preparation for this in the mass media. The goal of this is to blame the terrorist acts on Russia and to introduce a regime of total dictatorship on the territory of Ukraine". As I predicted, after reading about the forthcoming plan from several different sources, "The maximum goal is to create the conditions for a NATO military intervention, and of the Polish-Lithuanian contingent in particular". Furthermore, we even have a name for the event, which is an operation with the code name "Spalokhutemreve" and the Resistance Forces state that Ukrainian Security Service (SBU) Major Aleksei Nikonov is the person in charge of the operation. The Resistance quotes as its source for this information "high-ranking officials in Kiev" who are fearing for their future after Poroshenko has fallen. The Resistance warns the Ukrainian people: "What should the common people, now listening to this address, do? In the next several days, do not visit places of public concentration of people. Try either not to use public transportation or to use it as sparingly as possible. In particular, this concerns the metro system. Pay close attention to looking after your children. Look after your buildings' cellars and entranceways, to ensure that no strangers go there and that no unknown cargos are deposited in your cellars and entranceways. Please disseminate this information to your acquaintances, friends and neighbors - to anyone that you can. And may God help us". Hardly a message from terrorist forces, now, is it? But what about those who are planning such an event? It is also rumored that the Kiev Junta has planned revenge for its losses in the failed attempt to take Donetsk and Lugansk Republics, to take place in a massive terrorist operation perpetrated by pro-Kiev Fascist forces masquerading as Resistance fighters conducting an imminent operation against civilians in Pavlograd. It is crystal clear that the west has used the Ukraine as a pawn in its disgusting power game to strangle Russia and ultimately seize its massive resources. Like the Roman Empire, the NATO military-industrial complex whose lobbies control western governments can only perpetuate itself by grabbing more land, and in this case, resources. It is crystal clear that Russia, the BRICS countries and some others, such as Uruguay, Venezuela, Bolivia, Iran, Vietnam, Guatemala, form the backbone of a growing force which walks hand-in-hand together with the hearts and minds of the people in this international community. NATO, its poodles and their sickening sycophantic governors, do not, and neither do they care. Until one day...until one day.

Russia will influence activists of the breakaway republic of Ukraine for the investigation of the crash of the Boeing passenger jetliner in the Donetsk region, Russian President Vladimir Putin promised, opening the meeting of the Security Council in the Kremlin on July 22. Experts have already dubbed the meeting "historical," expecting that the president will make "momentous declarations." "We are being called to show influence on the militia in the southeast. I repeat, we will certainly do the best we can," said the president. "One must, in the end, urge the Kiev authorities to respect basic norms of decency and introduce ceasefire regime at least for a short period of investigation," he added. In the first minutes of his speech, Putin stressed out that Russia would take additional steps to reduce the dependence of the national economy and finance from adverse external factors. "Mechanisms in the so-called competition on the international arena will be used. This applies both to the economic and political sphere. For this purpose, among other things, opportunities of special services will be used, along with modern information and communication technologies, channels of dependent, handheld, non-governmental organizations - mechanisms of so-called soft power," Putin said explaining the need to reduce external influence. Today's meeting of the Security Council of the Russian Federation, which was announced the day before, started two hours later than was originally scheduled. The meeting started at 3:10 p.m. instead of 1:00 p.m. Prior to the meeting, it was said that it would be devoted to "issues related to ensuring the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Russian Federation."

Russia will influence activists of the breakaway republic of Ukraine for the investigation of the crash of the Boeing passenger jetliner in the Donetsk region, Russian President Vladimir Putin promised, opening the meeting of the Security Council in the Kremlin on July 22. Experts have already dubbed the meeting "historical," expecting that the president will make "momentous declarations." "We are being called to show influence on the militia in the southeast. I repeat, we will certainly do the best we can," said the president. "One must, in the end, urge the Kiev authorities to respect basic norms of decency and introduce ceasefire regime at least for a short period of investigation," he added. In the first minutes of his speech, Putin stressed out that Russia would take additional steps to reduce the dependence of the national economy and finance from adverse external factors. "Mechanisms in the so-called competition on the international arena will be used. This applies both to the economic and political sphere. For this purpose, among other things, opportunities of special services will be used, along with modern information and communication technologies, channels of dependent, handheld, non-governmental organizations - mechanisms of so-called soft power," Putin said explaining the need to reduce external influence. Today's meeting of the Security Council of the Russian Federation, which was announced the day before, started two hours later than was originally scheduled. The meeting started at 3:10 p.m. instead of 1:00 p.m. Prior to the meeting, it was said that it would be devoted to "issues related to ensuring the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Russian Federation." "There is no direct military threat, of course, to the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Russian Federation today. The guarantee to that, above all, is the strategic balance of forces in the world," he said. "What is actually happening? The groups of NATO troops on the territory of East European states have been growing demonstratively, including in the Black and Baltic Seas." "We need to fully and timely implement all planned measures to strengthen the defense ability, including in the Crimea and Sevastopol, where we have to actually rebuild military infrastructure from scratch." Putin touched upon problems in the country: "Attempts to destabilize the political situation, one way or another to weaken Russia, to hit vulnerable and problematic areas, are, of course, being taken and will be taken." According to him, this is done "to make us amendable in solving various problems in the interests of other states on the international arena." The president also said that the struggle against radicalism in Russia will not be conducted "solely for the purpose of tightening some screws." "We will never walk that path," he said. The president also expressed confidence that scenarios of "color revolutions" in Russia will not work, although attempts to destabilize the situation from the outside are being made. "Of course, such methods will not work head on in Russia," he said at the meeting of the Security Council. Putin is certain that recipes that can be applicable to weak and failed states, do not work in Russia. "Our people, our citizens, citizens of Russia will not allow this. And they never will," he concluded. Speaking about international security, Putin said that Russia strictly abides by international law in its commitment to partners. Putin hopes that other countries, military and political alliances should also proceed from this. Putin promised that Russia will adequately respond to attempts to weaken its position outside the international arena. According to him, such attempts are carried out with the help of special services, "handled NGOs" and other methods. "We need to adequately respond to these challenges, and most importantly, work systemically, to solve the problems that contain potential risks to the unity of our country and society," said the president of Russia. At the end of the introductory speech, Putin stressed out that Russia would take additional steps to reduce dependence of the national economy and finance from adverse external factors. "I mean not only volatility on global markets, but also possible political risks," ITAR-TASS quoted Putin as saying. It is fundamentally important, to take account of the regional factor, he said. "One needs to ensure the priority development of strategically important regions, including the Far East and other areas. Simultaneously, we must seek drastic reduction of gaps between subjects of the Russian Federation, the state of affairs in their economic bases and quality of life," said Putin. Speaking at a meeting of the Security Council of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Putin said that the Russian authorities plan to rely on the civil society. According to him, it is the civil society that should contribute to the prevention and struggle against radicalism and extremism. The president set priorities that would guarantee security and sovereignty of Russia. "First - this is gradual work to strengthen inter-ethnic harmony. Competent migration policy. Rigid response to inactivity of officials or offenses that may provoke conflicts on ethnic grounds," Putin said. "It is imperative that our civil society takes proactive stance, responds to violations of human rights and freedoms, contributes to the prevention of radicalism and extremism," the president said. He also said that it was "especially important" for the civil society to educate "young people in the spirit of patriotism and responsibility for the fate of the fatherland." "The language of ultimatums and sanctions is used in the world more and more often, and the concept of state sovereignty is eroded. Objectionable regimes and countries that pursue independent policies or simply stand in the way of someone else's interests are destabilized, - Putin said. - For this purpose, so-called color revolutions, or, if we call a spade a spade - coups are instigated and funded from the outside." "The focus is put on problems that exist inside countries, but there are always enough problems, especially in fragile states and states with a complex regime." "Often, stakes are made on radical nationalist, or simply a neo-fascist, fundamentalist forces - as it happened in many countries in the former Soviet Union and as it is happening now in Ukraine," he continued. Speaking of the current leadership of Ukraine, Putin said that it financed the coup. "Yes, after the coup, elections were held, but strangely enough, the people, who either funded or conducted the coup, came to power, and now they are trying to suppress the part of the population that does not agree with this development," Putin said. Following the introduction, members of the Security Council of the Russian Federation thanked the press, and the meeting continued behind closed doors.

Russia delivers all data about Boeing crash to EU

Russia handed over all data of the Defense Ministry about the crash of the Malaysian Boeing in Ukraine to the European Union, Russia's permanent representative to the EU Vladimir Chizhov said. "On Tuesday, we handed over the data as soon as we received them in writing, in English and Russian languages. We sent the information to all interested parties," Chizhov told reporters in Brussels, RIA Novosti reports. Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777 flying from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur crashed on July 17 in the Donetsk region. On board the aircraft, there were 298 people, including 85 children and 15 crew members. All the people were killed. The Kiev authorities blamed the militia of the breakaway republics, but the latter suggested that they had no weapons that could be capable of shooting planes down at such an altitude. During a press briefing on July 21, the Russian Defense Ministry disclosed the data of objective control of the situation that was developing in the Donetsk region of Ukraine before the crash of the Boeing. In particular, the ministry reported increased activity of a Ukrainian radar station on the day of the tragedy, strange movements of Buk anti-missile system that was located near the militia-controlled territory. It was also said that Russian experts spotted a Ukrainian military aircraft Su-25 that approached the Malaysian airliner shortly before the disaster. According to Chizhov, the EU has shown no reaction to the received information yet. "The reaction came only from the U.S., and was quite predictable. The Americans called the collected Russian data into question. This is, of course, their right. But if they are in doubt, they should have presented their evidence, which they have not done still. The Americans never unveil factual evidence in such situations. They only claim that this is intelligence information that may compromise their sources and so on ," said Chizhov. U.S. intelligence officials said that, according to U.S. intelligence, the plane of Malaysia Airlines was shot down over the territory controlled by Ukraine separatists most likely "by mistake" - they allegedly took the passenger liner for a Ukrainian military aircraft. At the briefing, the U.S. intelligence officials rejected the claims from the Defense Ministry of Russia saying that the plane could be shot down either by Ukrainian missile or Ukrainian fighter jet. Vladimir Chizhov, commenting on Washington's criticisms, said that the United States was in the center of a similar scandal in 1988, when American cruiser the Vincennes fired a guided missile at an Iranian airliner, having taken it for a military aircraft. Chizhov quoted then U.S. President George H. W. Bush, who said: "I will never apologize for the United States of America - I don't care what the facts are." Russia sincerely hopes that the investigation into the tragedy with the Boeing disaster in Ukraine will be "truly impartial, independent and international, as regulated by the UN Security Council resolution," said Vladimir Chizhov. "I am surprised at the statements of certain European representatives. Attempts to second-guess the results of the investigation can be considered only as pressure on the investigation. Hopefully, that will not happen," said the permanent representative. Chizhov warned European politicians against making conclusions about the causes and circumstances of the disaster until the international commission of experts exposes the results of the investigation.

Russia strongly denies involvement in Boeing disaster, aks USA ironic questions

All allegations of the involvement of Donetsk militia in the crash of the Malaysian Boeing-777 are unsubstantiated and, for the most part, based on reports from the Internet, Russian defense officials believe. The Russian Defense Ministry analyzed the results of the investigation conducted by Washington and studied the so-called evidence, to which U.S. intelligence indicated. According to Deputy Defense Minister Anatoly Antonov, they do not tally with the data of the objective control of the Russian General Staff. "It was stated that U.S. technical intelligence data and satellite photography confirmed that the missile was launched from the territory controlled by the rebels. Question: Where are these data?" Antonov said in an interview with Russia 24 TV channel. "Some U.S. intelligence officials, apparently secret officials, as long as their names remain unknown, released the comments that, according to the State Department, were supposed to prove the guilt of the militia even Russia's involvement in the disaster," he recalled. However, according to Antonov, these data have not been provided. "The American experts excluded the involvement of Ukrainian military in the crash of the Boeing, as the plane was flying out of the range of missiles. A question arises: are the Americans ready to be responsible for the fact that this was so? Do they know where missile complexes are located in Ukraine? How can Americans comment on the Russian objective control data? Or may be, they have nothing else to say?" said the representative of the Russian Ministry of Defense. Antonov is also skeptical about the statement from the Ukrainian side about the tragedy with the Boeing. "These figures actively comment possible causes of the accident, but generally they refer to social networks," said Antonov. As an example, he referred to photographs of Buk missile systems that are said to belong to militia, although they are at service of the Ukrainian air defense troops. According to Deputy Defense Minister Anatoly Antonov, in June and July of this year, the Russian side has recorded nine attacks of the Russian territory on the part of Ukraine. Dozens of Ukrainian shells and mines exploded in border areas, the official told Russia 24 TV channel. "There was aimed fire conducted on the border patrol unit. Our citizen Andrey Shulyatyev was killed. He is survived by three teenage daughters," said Antonov. Addressing representatives of the United States, the official asked: "If the territory of the United States were fired from a neighboring territory, and, God forbid, an American citizen were killed, what would the United States do? The answer to this this question is clear, - he continued. - We show responsibility and restraint instead." According to Antonov, in this regard, "it is perfectly clear, who provokes whom on the border." "You'd better pay attention to the constant shelling of Donetsk and Luhansk, where civilians are killed," he said addressing the Western military, including U.S. intelligence officers, who claim that the group of the Russian troops on the Russian-Ukrainian border has been growing recently. On July 20, as a result of the shooting from the Ukrainian territory, employees of the Russian customs post Gukovo had to be evacuated. On July 17, Ukrainian shells exploded at the Russian checkpoint Kujbyshevo. On July 13, in the Donetsk district of the Rostov region of Russia, a man was killed, two others were injured after a Ukrainian shell exploded near a residential house.

Russia responds to US and EU sanctions and accusations

On Saturday, the Russian Foreign Ministry responded to the accusations from the White House spokesman, who said that Putin and the Russians were "guilty" of the crash of the Malaysian Boeing 777 in the Donetsk region of Ukraine. According to the Russian Foreign Ministry, the current events in Ukraine are an "internal conflict." However, "the Obama administration is partially responsible for its dire consequences." Spokesman for the White House Josh Earnest said at a briefing: "There were heavy weapons moved from Russia to Ukraine... into the hands of separatist leaders, and that those separatists who are backed by the Russians were trained by the Russians to use those systems," he said. "What we also know is that the Malaysia Airlines jet was brought down by a missile that was fired from the ground... in an area that was controlled by separatists and in an area where the Ukrainians themselves were not actually operating anti-aircraft weapons at that time," Earnest also said. "So that is why we have concluded that Vladimir Putin and the Russians are culpable to this tragedy," he said. Russia's Foreign Ministry commented on this statement as follows: "Judging by the relentless slander campaign against Russia organized by the American administration, they are being more and more guided by blatant lies when pursuing their foreign policy," the ministry said. "In line with its current practice, Washington cites no proof or any references to facts that could be considered and commented," it said, adding that the White House only mentions certain intelligence data but refuses to present it, and "information in social networks," ITAR-TASS reports. The Foreign Ministry said that such an approach increasingly isolates the U.S. administration from an opportunity to to have an adequate perception of anything, but its own schemes and conclusions." "We will survive sanctions, but it is unfortunate that the U.S. continues to push Kiev towards forced suppression of discontent of the Russian-speaking population." Because of the EU sanctions, the EU-Russia cooperation in the field of security was endangered. The programs to combat terrorism and the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction are likely to be shelved, according to a press release from the Foreign Ministry of the Russian Federation about another expansion of the European sanctions list. The EU has really gotten hooked on Washington and Kiev's tales about the events taking place in Ukraine," the Foreign Ministry indicates. The Foreign Ministry also responded to U.S. allegations, calling them a part of the campaign of slander. According to Russian officials, the Obama administration is to a certain extent responsible for the "internal conflict" in Ukraine. "The additional sanctions list is a direct indication of the fact that EU countries have embarked on the course to completely terminate interaction with Russia on international and regional security, including the fight against the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, terrorism, organized crime and other new challenges and threats. We are convinced that such solutions will be enthusiastically received by international terrorist organizations. What they could not do during recent decades - to drive a wedge into the ranks of the world community - was easily done ​​in Brussels," the Foreign Ministry of the Russian Federation said. "Having done Washington's bidding again about additional anti-Russian sanctions, the EU acted as a "non-commissioned officer's widow," having jeopardized international cooperation in the field of security." On Saturday night, the EU exposed the names of 15 individuals and 18 legal entities that fell under the sanctions. They include FSB Director Alexander Bortnikov, Director of Russia's Foreign Intelligence Service Mikhail Fradkov, Russian Security Council Secretary Nikolai Patrushev and the head of the Chechen Republic Ramzan Kadyrov. For the time being, the European "black list" bars the total of 87 citizens of Russia and Ukraine, including senior officials, politicians and the military, from entering the EU banned. Their assets on the territory of EU Member States shall be frozen. The head of the Chechen Republic Ramzan Kadyrov, who fell under the EU sanctions, announced his own sanctions list, in which he included U.S. President Barack Obama and the current leadership of the EU, whom he called "state terrorists" who shed "the blood of Muslims." The following individuals are not allowed to enter the territory of the Chechen Republic, pursuant to Kadyrov's decision: U.S. President Barack Obama, European Commission President Jose Manoel Barroso, President of the European Council Herman Van Rompuy, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Catherine Ashton, European Parliament President Martin Schulz. "I have instructed to freeze their bank accounts and assets of any kind. From July 27, the listed policies are denied entry to the Chechen Republic," Kadyrov said.In support of his decision, he wrote: "The whole world has witnessed the tragedy of the peoples of Libya, Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan, and lately, of Ukraine. Under the guise of export of democracy, civilians, women, the elderly, children are being killed in these countries, cities and religious shrines are being destroyed. The U.S. and the EU are directly responsible for everything that happens there. The actions of their leaders are state terrorism directed against countries and peoples. And it is the blood of Muslims that is shed in most cases."

Airstrike In Eastern Ukraine Kills 11 Civilians

SNIZHNE, Ukraine -- An airstrike in eastern Ukraine sent an apartment building crumpling to the ground Tuesday, killing at least 11 people and adding to the steadily mounting civilian death toll from the fighting between government forces and pro-Russian insurgents. Rebels pinned the attack on the Ukrainian air force. The government swiftly denied blame but was not immediately able to offer an alternative explanation. The bombing in the rebel-held town of Snizhne demonstrated how airstrikes and heavy rocket fire are becoming increasingly common as the conflict drags into its fourth month. The attack comes one day after a Ukrainian military transport plane was shot down in disputed circumstances. The devastation in Snizhne bore signs of a strike by several missiles and left only a mountain of smoking debris. The four-story apartment block appeared to have been hit in two separate spots, causing the collapse of several tiers. A nearby house was also destroyed. Resident Igor Chernetsov lost his wife in the attack. "I heard an explosion, and suddenly I was thrown out of the apartment, out of the fourth floor," said Chernetsov, his head swathed in a bandage. "I woke up covered in dust and had no idea what had happened." Health officials in the Donetsk region, which includes Snizhne, provided the number of dead. Rescue workers pulled a small child with broken legs alive from the rubble as grieving residents sifted for belongings. An Associated Press reporter counted six large impact craters. Dmitry Tymchuk, a military analyst who coordinates closely with Ukraine's Defense Ministry, said that since rebels are unlikely to have any planes capable of conducting the bombing, there could only be one explanation. "Only Russian aviation could have performed the airstrike on Snizhne," he wrote on his Facebook account. The Defense Ministry stopped short of that claim but insisted the bombing could not have been carried out by the air force as none of its planes were on sorties at the time of the strike. Security Council spokesman Andrei Lysenko called the incident a "cynical and bloody provocation" aimed at discrediting the armed forces. Sergei, a rebel commander at the scene who declined to give his surname, said locals bore witness to Ukrainian involvement. "Many local citizens saw the plane that dropped the bomb — it had Ukrainian markings," he said. "Why Ukraine would bomb its own territory is harder for me to say." No reliable official recent death toll has been produced, but hundreds of civilians are believed to have been killed so far in the conflict. Authorities said Tuesday that 258 servicemen have been killed in fighting and 922 injured. Representatives for the separatist Luhansk People's Republic said that 12 more civilians were killed Monday evening in the eastern city of Luhansk following rocket attacks and airstrikes. It was not immediately possible to verify those claims. On Monday, Ukraine said one of its military transport planes carrying eight people was shot down by a missile fired from Russian territory. Security Service chief Valentyn Nalyvaichenko said he had "unconditional evidence" that Russia was involved in downing the craft, Interfax-Ukraine news agency reported Tuesday. Rebels said they shot the plane down. Defense Ministry representatives initially suggested all those on the plane had survived and been accounted for. The ministry updated its account to specify that while four on the plane were evacuated, another two were taken captive by rebels and that the whereabouts of two more are unknown. On Tuesday, the Moscow-based LifeNews online television channel broadcast the questioning by rebels of a man identified as a pilot from the downed Antonov-26. LifeNews quoted a rebel militiaman Alexander Gureyev as saying the pilot was allowed to call his family. "Most likely, we will exchange him for one of our militias in captivity. Nobody intended or intends to shoot him. Let his relatives not worry," Gureyev was quoted as saying. In the last two weeks, the government has halved the territory in eastern Ukraine held by pro-Russia separatists, who have been forced back into the cities of Luhansk and Donetsk. Many in the armed insurgency are known to be Russian nationals, but Moscow says they are simply citizens who went to fight in Ukraine on their own. Russia has denied it is helping to fuel the unrest in Ukraine and has in turn accused Kiev-commanded forces of shelling a border town inside Russia, killing one person. Ukraine denies firing shells onto foreign soil. A delegation of international military attaches and reporters visited the site of the shelling Tuesday in Donetsk in what a senior Russian Defense Ministry official termed an "act of good will." Officials showed a residential building damaged by rocket fire and a series of craters next to a border crossing.