OSCE says it did not receive proper access to Ukraine crash site

Monitors from the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe were not able to secure an access corridor on Friday to the site where a Malaysian airliner crashed in eastern Ukraine, which is in territory controlled by pro-Russian rebels, the OSCE's permanent council chairman said.

An OSCE spokeswoman said rebels who met the OSCE observers and experts had fired into the air.

Thomas Greminger, the council chairman, said: "They did not have the kind of access that they expected. They did not have the freedom of movement that they need to do their job. The crash site is not sealed off."

Pro-Russian separatists watch as Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) monitors arrive at the crash site of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17, near the settlement of Grabovo in the Donetsk region, July 18, 2014. Reuters

"In the current circumstances, they were not able to help securing this corridor that would allow access for those that would want to investigate," he told Reuters by telephone.

Greminger is also Switzerland's ambassador to the European rights and security watchdog.

He said a team of OSCE monitors had stayed at the crash site for about 75 minutes and then set off back to Donetsk, but would try again on Saturday.

World leaders have called for a rapid investigation into the shooting down of the airliner, which could mark a pivotal moment in deteriorating relations between Russia and the West.