Russia blocks UN tribunal to probe MH17 crash in Ukraine

PanARMENIAN.Net - Russia has blocked a UN Security Council resolution that would have created an international tribunal to prosecute those responsible for bringing down Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 over Ukraine, CNN reports.

Russia was alone in the 15-member council in voting Wednesday, July 29, in New York against the establishment of the tribunal. Eleven members voted in favor. China, Venezuela and Angola abstained.

Malaysia's transport minister said he was deeply disappointed by the failure to find unity in the Security Council and that the wrong signal had been sent to the families and friends of those killed.

Russia's UN envoy Vitaly Churkin said Moscow still "stands ready to cooperate in the conduct of a full independent and objective investigation of the reasons and circumstances of the crash."

Russia had earlier indicated that the resolution was too political and didn't wait for the outcome of two investigations currently underway.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said that efforts to create the UN tribunal were premature and counterproductive, since an investigation into what happened is still ongoing.

A second, criminal investigation is expected to report by the end of the year.