Britain is to send more than 1,300 British troops to eastern Europe as a show of strength against Russia's annexation of Crimea and 'destabilisation' of eastern Ukraine.

Defence Secretary Michael Fallon announced the details of Exercise Black Eagle in Poland, as EU member states prepare to impose tough sanctions on Russia's financial, defence and the hi-tech energy sectors.

David Cameron warned Britain must accept some economic ‘pain’ from the crackdown, as it emerged tomorrow he will meet families of the 10 Britons killed when Malyasian Airlines flight MH17 was shot down over eastern Ukraine.

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Defence Secretary Michael Fallon (left) announced Britain would send 1,300 troops to take part in Exercise Black Eagle during a visit to Warsaw with Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond (second left), meeting their Polish counterparts, Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski (right) and Defence Minister Tomasz Siemoniak (second right)

Mr Cameron is pushing for a tougher crackdown on Moscow, with travel bans and asset freezes aimed at the ‘cronies’ of Vladimir Putin whose billions depend on their influence in the Kremlin.

In a conference call tonight, the leaders of Britain, France, Germany, Italy and the United States agreed to take further measures against Russia.

Mr Cameron spoke to US President Barack Obama, French President Francois Hollande, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Italian PM Mario Renzi to 'confirm their intention to adopt new measures against Russia,' Paris said.

In an escalation of tensions with Russia, British ministers unveiled details of what they are calling Exercise Black Eagle, a UK-led training exercise.

At least 1,350 personnel and more than 350 armoured and other vehicles will be sent to Poland in October, but the Ministry of Defence refused to give details of where the exercise would take place.

Defence Secretary Michael Fallon said it would be the largest British commitment to the region since 2008.

The UK has already deployed RAF Typhoon jets to the Nato Baltic Air Policing mission.

And at the end of light infantry troops from 1st Battalion, The Duke of Lancaster’s Regiment will take part in Exercise Sabre Junction in Poland, a US-led exercise involving 16 Nato and partner nation.

It is right that Nato members and partners demonstrate our commitment to the collective security of our allies in Eastern Europe Defence Secretary Michael Fallon

Last week it emerged General Philip Breedlove, Nato’s top commander in Europe, had drawn up plans to create a new beefed-up HQ in Poland to allow for a swift response to any new threat from Russia.

Speaking on a visit to Warsaw, Mr Fallon said that it was important to underline Nato's commitment to the collective security of its members at a time of heightened tensions in the region.

'It is right that Nato members and partners demonstrate our commitment to the collective security of our allies in Eastern Europe,' he said.

'In particular, the commitment of a battle group to Exercise Black Eagle shows our sustained and substantial support to Nato's eastern border.'

He said that the issue would also be high on the agenda when Nato leaders gather for their summit in Wales in September.

'We have a strong opportunity at the Nato summit to discuss how we will continue our response to Russia's illegal annexation of Crimea and its destabilisation of eastern Ukraine,' he said.

'The UK is playing a central role and we are not ruling out further enhancements.'

Prime Minister David Cameron will meet families of Britons killed in the Malaysian Airlines crash, as EU ambassadors meet to agree economic sanctions against Russia

The announcement came as fighting has stopped an international police team from reaching the wreckage of the Malaysian Airlines plane for a second day running, as pro-Russian rebels admit they have lost control of part of the crash site.

Ukrainian security spokesman Andriy Lysenko said data from the aircraft's flight data recorders showed the plane suffered 'massive explosive decompression' after it was hit by fragments he said came from a missile.

There will be the possibility of some pain to be felt here in the UK... you've had a passenger airline shot out of the sky with 298 people losing their lives Downing Street

The data recorders have been sent to experts in Britain for examination.

The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay said the downing of the aircraft may constitute a war crime and called for a thorough investigation into what happened.

Meanwhile, ambassadors from across the EU will meet in Brussels tomorrow to finalise curbs on trade deals with Russia.

Mr Cameron admits Britain will suffer economically from sanctions, notably the impact of financial trading with the City of London.

But the Prime Minister’s spokesman said all EU countries must be prepared to share the burden of the sanctions to show Moscow it means business.

'There will be the possibility of some pain to be felt here in the UK in terms of these measures but you have to look much more broadly at the wider crisis and the fact that you've had a passenger airline shot out of the sky with 298 people losing their lives,’ the PM’s spokesman said.

Britain is pushing for sanctions where there is ‘broad consensus’ with other EU countries, including ‘the financial sector, the defence sector and the hi-tech energy sector’.

But this will not include gas and oil industries, where Russia dominates much of eastern Europe.

Close allies and cronies of Russian President Vladimir Putin face being hit with travel bans and asset freezes after the criteria was widened to include those close to the Kremlin

Fighting has stopped an international police team from reaching the wreckage of a Malaysian Airlines plane for a second day running, as pro-Russian rebels admit they have lost control of part of the crash site

PM TO MEET FAMILIES OF BRITONS KILLED IN MH17 PLANE ATROCITY Prime Minister David Cameron is to meet families of the Britons killed in the MH17 crash tomorrow. Ten UK nationals were among the 298 passengers and crew killed when the Malaysian Airlines flight was shot down over eastern Ukraine. Downing Street said all of the families have been invited to meet the Prime Minister and seven are expected at the meeting in Number 10. 'It is really for the Prime Minister to express his sorrow and condolences about what's happened personally, face to face,' a spokesman for Mr Cameron said. 'He will talk about the response so far from the UK and other partners in the international community.' Mr Cameron will also seek to 'establish if there are more things that we should be looking at and doing'. Advertisement

The so-called ‘tier three’ measures covering whole sectors could be agreed without a meeting of ministers, coming into force with 48 hours of ambassadors reaching agreement tomorrow.

Last week EU member states agreed to add 15 individuals and 18 entities to the list of those subject to asset freezes under the 'tier two' powers.

Among them are head of the Russian Federal Security Service Alexander Bortnikov, Sergei Beseda, head of the FSB department that oversees international operations and intelligence activity and four members of Russia's Security Council.

The list, published in the EU's Official Journal, brings to 87 the total number of people subject to sanctions in relation to Russia's annexation of the Crimea.

However, Mr Cameron wants to now go further and extend it to cover ‘those with influence on the Russian regime’.

Downing Street said: ‘The criteria have now been expanded to allow for travel bans and asset freezes to be imposed on individuals who are seen to be influencers on the Russian regime, Putin's inner circle of advisers and we are certainly doing work to make the case for a number of individuals who should be sanctioned under those new criteria.’

'The focus in Brussels today and tomorrow is agreeing Tier 3 measures. It can be done by written procedures. Ambassadors could agree it tomorrow and then it could formally go through without the need for any meeting. We are certainly pushing for ambassadors to agree this.

‘Our focus is on securing agreement tomorrow so that these measures can come into force as swiftly as possible.'

Before MH17 was shot down, Germany had been reluctant to back tougher sanctions against Russia.

But now Angela Merkel’s government is leading calls for heavier punishment against Moscow.

Christiane Wirtz, a government spokeswoman in Berlin, said: ‘After the crash of the passenger plane MH17, a completely new situation came about which makes further measures necessary

’The Kremlin continues to have little interest in clearing up and is not making its influence on the separatists count. There continues to be reports about the inflow of Russian weapons into eastern Ukraine via border areas controlled by separatists and Russia is still obliged to stop that.’

10 BRITONS KILLED WHEN FLIGHT NH17 WAS SHOT DOWN British lawyer John Allen, 44, died with his Dutch wife Sandra and their three children, Christopher, Ian and Julian. Glenn Thomas (left), 49, from Blackpool, a media officer for the World Health Organisation, was among 100 delegates on their way to an Aids conference in Melbourne, Australia. Former RAF search and rescue co-ordinator Stephen Anderson (right), 44, moved to Malaysia four years ago with his wife Joanna, with whom he has a daughter. Andrew Hoare, a 59-year-old banker born and raised in Somerset, was killed along with his Dutch wife Estella and their two children Jasper (left), 15, and Friso, 12 John Alder (left), 63, and Liam Sweeney, 28, were ardent Newcastle United fans killed on their way to a pre-season tour of New Zealand. Leeds University student Richard Mayne, 20, was on his way to Perth in Australia. He had recently completed a charity trek to Everest Base Camp. Father-of-two Cameron Dalziel (left), 43, was a helicopter rescue pilot. Robert Ayley, 27, from Guildford, wrote an email before the flight saying he was looking forward to seeing his wife and children in New Zealand. Ben Pocock, 20, from Bristol was studying International Business at Loughborough University. Advertisement

Airline stops flying over Iraq amid fears of missile attack

By ARTHUR MARTIN

International airline Emirates is to stop flying over Iraq because of the threat of missile strikes from Islamic militants.

Company president Sir Tim Clark personally ordered a reroute, saying he is ‘not comfortable’ with the security situation.

The Dubai-based carrier is the first to announce action after the downing of Flight MH17 by a missile over an area of Ukraine held by Russian separatists sparked urgent reviews into routes over conflict zones.

US officials are still investigating whether they have acquired missiles capable of downing a civilian aircraft at 30,000ft or higher.

Every day hundreds of jets travelling to holiday destinations such as Dubai fly over northern Iraq, parts of which are controlled by the militant group ISIS. One of the most popular routes takes planes directly over their stronghold of Mosul.

But Emirates has decided to take action immediately and will reroute flights as soon as possible. Yesterday major airlines including British Airways, Qatar, Etihad and Qantas were still flying over Iraq. Sir Tim said he believed other carriers would follow suit, but yesterday BA refused to comment and Qantas said it had no plans to change routes.

The airline executive said he was ‘beside myself with rage and anger’ after the Malaysia Airlines Boeing was shot down on July 17, with the loss of 298 lives. ‘From out of this ghastly, hideous mass murder... the airline community are minded to try and improve what they do,’ he told The Times.

Alternative routes could take jets across Saudi Arabia and the Red Sea, north over Cairo and into European airspace — adding up to 45 minutes to flight times.

n Black box data recovered from MH17 yesterday revealed it suffered ‘massive explosive decompression’ after being hit by shrapnel from a rocket blast.