The U.S. state department has snubbed Russian TV reports that claimed that a Ukrainian fighter jet downed Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 as "preposterous" while describing the images backing the claim as "crude fakes."
The satellite photo released by Russian state television on Friday showed a Ukrainian fighter jet firing an air-to-air missile in the direction of flight MH17, reported The Guardian.
While accusing Moscow of trying to "obfuscate" the truth, The White House said that the news was an attempt to ignore the ultimate responsibility for the tragic downing of MH17. It called on Russia to allow unhindered access for international investigators to the crash site.
About 298 people aboard the Boeing 777 flying from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur were killed when the flight crashed over a rebel-held area of Ukraine on July 17.