Bodies of Malaysia jet victims to leave Ukraine

A youth holds a placard during a rally to seek justice for the victims of the Malaysia Airlines Flight 17, outside the Parliament house in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Wednesday, July 23, 2014. A team of Malaysian investigators visited the site along with members of the the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) mission in Ukraine for the first time since the air crash last week. (AP Photo/Lai Seng Sin) A youth holds a placard during a rally to seek justice for the victims of the Malaysia Airlines Flight 17, outside the Parliament house in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Wednesday, July 23, 2014. A team of Malaysian investigators visited the site along with members of the the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) mission in Ukraine for the first time since the air crash last week. (AP Photo/Lai Seng Sin)

By Associated Press July 23, 2014 1 min read

KHARKIV, Ukraine (AP) – Ukraine is preparing a departure ceremony for the bodies of victims of the Malaysia Airlines disaster, which are being flown to the Netherlands.

Deputy Prime Minister Volodymyr Groysman said Wednesday’s ceremony was set for 11 a.m. local time (0800 GMT) at the airport in Kharkiv. Dutch officials say at least 200 bodies had arrived there in refrigerated railroad cars a day earlier.

U.S. officials say Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 was probably shot down by a missile on Thursday, and fell on territory controlled by pro-Russian separatists who have been battling the Kiev government since April. The crash killed all 298 people on board, most of them Dutch citizens.