PHOTOS, VIDEO: Train Carrying #MH17 Bodies Leaves Ukraine Crash Site to Return to Netherlands

London's Daily Mail reported last night on the "stench of death" as the bodies from the crash were loaded into a air-conditioned cattle cars. The stench was overwhelming as flies buzzed around the train cars. Astonishing callousness, "A chilling echo of Nazi death trains as MH17 victims begin the grimmest journey." (PHOTOS).

And thank heavens now the train is finally moving, heading back to the Netherlands, the home country of the majority of those who died.

At the Wall Street Journal, "Bodies From Malaysia Airlines Flight Begin Long Trip to Netherlands: Pro-Russian Rebels Agree to Hand Over Flight Data Recorders to Malaysian and Dutch Officials":

DONETSK, Ukraine—Negotiations over the rebel-held crash site of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 began to bear fruit on Monday, as Malaysia's prime minister said rebels had agreed to hand over the aircraft's data recorders and to allow the transport of victims' bodies to the Netherlands.

Victims' remains were being transported by train from the pro-Russian territory of Torez, about 12 miles south of the crash site, to Kharkiv, Ukraine, a city with no fighting that is under government control. From there, they will be sent to the Netherlands, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte said in The Hague on Monday. It wasn't clear when the remains would arrive, Mr. Rutte said, and the train trip to Kharkiv alone could take "at least 10 to 12 hours," he said.

Rebel leader Alexander Borodai told a delegation from Malaysia in the regional capital of Donetsk on Monday that he planned to hand Flight 17's black boxes over to representatives of the Malaysian and Dutch governments in Ukraine.

The head of the Malaysian delegation, Col. Mohd Sakri, said an agreement had been reached for the rapid removal of bodies of the plane's passengers and crew, which would be transported first to the Netherlands. "We want to bring bodies as soon as possible to family members to let them identify them, to make proper funeral arrangements according to their religion," he said. Forty-three Malaysians died aboard Flight 17.

Once in the Netherlands, Dutch labs will carry out the necessary procedures for the positive identification of the victims irrespective of nationality, said Jos van Roo, the leader of the Dutch forensics team in Ukraine.

As new fighting broke out across the region between Ukrainian forces and pro-Russia separatists, President Barack Obama strengthened his demand that Russian President Vladimir Putin compel the rebels to clear the way for investigators to access the crash site, which remains chaotic four days after the jet was downed.

The U.S. and Ukraine have said intelligence shows pro-Russia rebels in eastern Ukraine used a missile system provided by Russia to shoot down Flight 17. But on Monday, Russia's Defense Ministry offered an alternative conclusion, saying Russian radar had spotted a second aircraft near the Malaysian Airlines jet shortly before the crash and that satellite imagery showed Ukraine had moved missile systems into the area before the incident.

Lt. Gen. Igor Makushev said it was likely the second aircraft was a Ukrainian fighter jet, but he didn't say who the ministry believed had fired the missile that brought Flight 17 down.

The U.N. Security Council on Monday passed a unanimous resolution condemning the downing of Flight 17 and calling for an independent international investigation into the incident.

Growing anger over the attack and the handling of the crash site has led some European leaders to join Mr. Obama in threatening broad new measures against Moscow. European foreign ministers were due to discuss stiffer sanctions in Brussels on Tuesday.

"Now's the time for President Putin and Russia to pivot away from the strategy that they've been taking and get serious about trying to resolve hostilities within Ukraine,"


Mr. Obama said in comments at the White House. Mr. Obama called for "immediate and full access to the crash site" and warned Russia that it would face additional sanctions if Mr. Putin does not act. He also said the blocking of access to the crash site by pro-Russian separatists "begs the question: What exactly are they trying to hide?"

More here.

Expect updates.