MH17 Australian death toll rises to 28

Foreign Minister Julie Bishop said the death toll of Australians on MH17 has risen to 28 and could increase with passports still to be checked.

Asked if she was "satisfied" with Russian President Vladimir Putin's stance that the crash was the fault of Ukraine authorities, Ms Bishop said she understood the plane had been shot down in territory controlled by Russian separatist rebels.

She hoped to speak to Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov this evening.

"We are calling for a thorough investigation to be established as soon as possible so we can get to the bottom of this incident," she said.