International investigators are to withdraw temporarily from the site of the Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777 crash in Ukraine, with some areas yet to be examined.

The Ukrainian commission into the loss of flight MH17 says there are “at least” three areas of territory containing wreckage which “remain unexplored”.

But the initial search phase is being wound up in the face of a continuing threat from separatists, it claims.

The commission says a Ukrainian armed forces ceasefire put in place around the crash site will not be continued until a second phase of the investigation in the area begins.

It adds that most of the international specialists will leave Ukraine, bar a small number of personnel for co-ordination and communication, before deciding how to proceed with this next search phase.

Source: Cirium Dashboard