MH17: 'Owner of truck that transported missile' fears his life

A man who claims he owns a Volvo truck that was allegedly used to transport the Buk missile system that downed flight MH17 says he fears for his life.

The man, known only as "Vasilijus", confirmed to Lithuanian website Alfa that the truck filmed reportedly smuggling the launcher into Ukraine was in fact his, bringing investigators one step closer to finding the people responsible for the disaster that killed 298, including 39 Australians.

"Yes, of course. It is easy to recognise. We know our vehicles. Yes, it is ours," he said.

"It's the only Volvo with such a cabin."

Vasilijus said the vehicle was stolen by pro-Russian rebels on July 8, nine days before the Malaysia Airlines flight was struck by a ground to air missile on July 17.

Footage shot by Ukrainian police on the morning after the attack captured a launcher believed to be responsible for the attack being transported out of Ukraine, just a few kilometres from the crash site.

Vasilijus was tracked down due to unique modifications visible on the truck and fears the separatists will soon do the same.

"Do not reveal my name — I already have plenty of problems," he told Alfa.

"My base in Donetsk was taken over and it was parked there. Yes, this is my vehicle. They came to our base and said they needed it.

"Everyone left from the eighth (of July), and the base was under their control, including my equipment and that white truck."

Meanwhile, worsening clashes between separatists and government forces in Ukraine have again frustrated investigators trying to recover bodies and possessions from the MH17 crash site.

The joint team of Australian, Dutch and Malaysian officials were delayed and had only limited access to the crash site on yesterday because of increased shelling and gunfire in nearby areas.

Human remains and personal items of victims were recovered on the previous three days at the site but the Australian Federal Police made no mention of similar finds on the fourth day.

Australia's special envoy Angus Houston assured that all fire was directed away from the convoy to the west, even though the sounds of battle were quite close to the investigation team.

He said the situation on the ground was monitored continuously but investigators wouldn't be walking away from their mission.

"We'll stay here as long as that takes, provided the conflict situation allows it," he told ABC radio on Tuesday.

"If there are any doubts we stop, as we did today."

The Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe has been seeking assurances from both sides of the conflict that the investigation team will be granted safe passage to the crash site.

It has been more than two weeks since the Malaysia Airlines passenger jet was shot down over eastern Ukraine.

Source: Alfa
Author: Chloe Ross, Approving editor: Martin Zavan