11.19pm BST

• Senior US officials said intelligence supports the theory that rebels shot down MH17 “by mistake”, but that there is “no evidence of direct Russian government involvement“. They said Russia maintains a “training facility“ for rebels to learn how to operate heavy weaponry in the country’s south-west.

• Eyewitnesses in Torez told the Guardian they saw what appeared to have been a Buk SA-11 missile system near the time and location of the MH17 crash. Separatists deny possession of any such system and blame Ukraine, and Russia denies it provided any system to armed groups.



• Victims’ bodies and the flight black boxes arrived by train at Kharkiv, a city controlled by Ukraine. Victims’ remains will be taken to the Netherlands for identification on Wednesday, but Dutch officials fear there are fewer bodies in Kharkiv than the 282 that rebels promised to transport. Black boxes will be taken to the UK for analysis.

• The EU refrained from immediate sanctions on Russia, but has lined up punitive measures on “cronies” of Russian president Vladimir Putin. France dithered on whether it will follow through with a €1.2bn contract to sell warships to Russia, and the UK and US have called for increased pressure.

• Almost all security fell away at the crash site, and OSCE monitors say wreckage has been moved, “sawn in half” and “changes observed” at the site. Rebels and the Ukrainian military agreed to limited ceasefire zones around the crash, and human remains are still scattered over an area of 12 square miles.

• Heavy fighting broke out between rebel forces and the Ukrainian military, including near the densely populated cities of Donetsk and Luhansk. Rebels reported five people killed on Monday. Ukrainian forces recaptured towns and civilians took shelter as sporadic shelling continued.

• Vladimir Putin said Russia will use its influence among separatist forces to allow for a full investigation, but insisted that the west pressure Kiev to end hostilities. Speaking before Russia’s security council after a series of calls with world leaders, he lashed out at punitive sanctions from western nations.