Ukraine says ceasefire at MH17 crash site still in force

Members of a group of international experts inspect wreckage at the site where the downed Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 crashed, near the village of Hrabove (Grabovo) in Donetsk region, eastern Ukraine August 1, 2014. REUTERS/Sergei Karpukhin reuters_tickers

KIEV (Reuters) – Ukraine’s government said on Friday the ceasefire with separatist rebels at the crash site of Malaysian airliner MH17 was still in force despite an announcement that it would be suspended until recovery work there resumed.

“The order of the President of Ukraine for a ceasefire in the area of the ​​search operation is continuing,” the government said in a statement.

It did not explain why the government said on Thursday that the ceasefire was being suspended following a decision by an international team of experts to halt recovery efforts there because of continued fighting.

(Reporting by Pavel Polityuk; Writing by Richard Balmforth; Editing by Sonya Hepinstall)