Tony Abbott has expressed fears that Russia would “say the right thing” while allowing interference in the crash site of MH17 and interference with the “dignified treatment” of the 298 victims, including 36 Australian citizens and residents.

In his strongest comments yet, the prime minister said Russia could not “wash its hands” of the accident and confirmed he spoke to the Russian trade minister – who was in Australia for preparations for the G20 meeting – to convey the same message.



“Russian-controlled territory, Russian-backed rebels, quite likely a Russian-supplied weapon. Russia can't wash its hands of this,” Abbott told the ABC on Sunday.



Now, my priority today… and in coming days will be ensuring that the bodies are properly treated and trying to secure a full investigation.



“My fear is that Russia will say the right thing but that on the ground interference with the site, interference with investigators, interference with the dignified treatment of bodies will continue. That's my fear.”



Reports continue to emerge that the scene of the crash site remains in chaos three days after the plane was shot down over Russian-controlled territory in Ukraine.



Abbott said the normal investigations carried out at air crash sites were not happening and described the reports of looting and interference as “outrageous”.



“We’ve all seen the reports. Unfortunately there is no one in authority on the ground.”



An Australian air crash investigation team is in the Ukrainian capital, Kiev, after



Abbott spoke to the Ukrainian president, Petro Poroshenko, who invited Australia to participate in the investigation.

Abbott said there were legitimate anxieties over interference with the crash site and the sooner investigators were allowed access to the site, the sooner the perpetrators could be “brought to justice”.



He likened the process to the recovery of bodies and the investigation of the terrorist bombing in Bali which killed 202 people, including 88 Australians, and he warned it would be a lengthy and difficult process.



“This plane came down, as you say, in separatist-held territory,” said Abbott. “But you'd think that this kind of disrespect we've been talking about, and this chaos, could have been prevented if Russia had had the political will.”



The prime minister said there was “very, very strong evidence” that sophisticated weaponry such as the missiles which allegedly shot down MH17 were moving across the border from Russia into Ukraine.



“Obviously on these matters I've been talking with our allies, with our intelligence and security partners, and there is a very high degree of confidence that this plane was A, brought down by a missile, B, brought down by a missile launched by Russian-backed rebels and C, slightly less confidence, but still likely that it was a Russian-supplied or facilitated weapon,” Abbott said.



The Russian foreign minister had not been “available” for a call from the Australian foreign minister, Julie Bishop, and Abbott said he had only had access to the trade minister while not confirming whether he had sought a conversation with the Russian president, Vladimir Putin.



Bishop is in New York to move an Australian resolution in the United Nations security council for a full investigation of the crash and it is unclear where Russia – a permanent member of the council – will stand on the issue.



Abbott said the Ukrainian government was the “legitimate government” of the crash site area and praised Poroshenko, who he said was doing the “right thing”. He would not confirm whether Putin would attend the G20 meeting in Brisbane in November.



Asked whether Russia was still invited, Abbott said “there are excuses, there is blame shifting, there is handwashing going on and that's not acceptable. It's simply not acceptable.”



Consular officials are working with the families of the Australian victims. The prime minister said while he did not want to intrude on people’s grief, he would call families if they wanted contact with him or Bishop.



“We can't let our emotions cloud our judgment but nevertheless these are wrenching times and there would hardly be an Australian who hasn't been emotionally touched by what we've seen, what we've felt over the last 48 hours or so.



“You look at the faces of the dead and they're your neighbours, they're your friends, they could be your kids because let's face it, we are a people who like to travel and my own daughters flew on MH17 some months ago on their way home from Europe. So this is a tragedy which touches us deeply.”



The prime minister, the governor general, Sir Peter Cosgrove, and members of the opposition and the public attended a service at St Mary’s cathedral in Sydney on Sunday and the government will hold another commemorative service after the families of the victims have been consulted later this month.



The deputy opposition leader, Tanya Plibersek, said all Australians were united in their horror at the events surrounding MH17, which had taken the lives of children, parents and grandparents from across the Australian community.

Plibersek, who also attended the service at St Mary's cathedral on Sunday, urged all members of the UN Security Council to back Australia’s resolution for a full and unimpeded investigation at the crash site in Ukraine.



“It is absolutely critical that security council members unanimously support the call for an investigation that is transparent, that is made up of investigators from a number of countries,” she said.

“Access to the site must be granted immediately and it must be unimpeded. I think every Australian would be outraged at the suggestions that there are paramilitary personnel on the site at the moment that are interfering with investigations, preventing investigations and it seems perhaps preventing the removal and retrieval of bodies. This is completely unacceptable.”

