The United States on Sunday released what it said was evidence that Russia had supplied weapons to separatists in Ukraine.
The surveillance images taken by satellite cameras also showed that Russia has fired artillery rounds at Ukrainian military units from its side of the border. The photographs were taken between Wednesday and Saturday, the White House said.
The photos show “ground scarring” at a multiple rocket-launch site on the Russian side of the border, a statement accompanying the images said.
“The wide area of impacts near the Ukrainian military units indicates fire from multiple rocket launchers,” the statement added.
Shortly after the photos were released the State Department said US Secretary of State John Kerry and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov spoke by phone.
Kerry urged Russia to stop the flow of heavy weapons and rocket and artillery fire from Russia into Ukraine and rejected Lavrov’s denial that heavy weapons from Russia are contributing to the conflict.
But Kerry and Lavrov agreed that despite the differences in their approaches to settling the conflict, “it is vital to press towards for the immediate ceasefire and the launch of talks between the conflicting parties,” said a Russian Foreign Ministry statement quoted by Itar Tass.
Kerry underscored US support for a ceasefire verified by the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE).
In addition the State Department said Kerry reaffirmed the United States’ “strong support for the international investigation to show the facts of MH17.” In Ukraine on Sunday security concerns prevented Dutch and Australian police officers from visiting the Malaysia Airlines disaster site, international monitors said.
The OSCE, whose observers were leading the site visit, said reports of fighting between Ukrainian government forces and pro-Russian rebels forced them to scrap the trip and remain in the eastern city of Donetsk.
Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak announced earlier Sunday that a deal had been struck with the separatists to give international police forces access to the scene. All 298 people on board flight MH17 died when the Boeing 777 was shot down by surface-to-air missiles on July 17.
Sixty-eight Malaysian police personnel will leave Kuala Lumpur on Wednesday to join the Australian and Dutch teams, Najib said. The unarmed officers are being sent to secure the site as experts hope to begin their investigation into the crash.
A team of 30 Dutch forensic experts have also left for the crash site, the Justice Ministry said from The Hague, and its task will be to look for victims’ remains.
Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott said human remains were still at the site.
The United States, Ukraine and European countries have accused the Moscow-backed rebels of firing at the passenger plane, alleging there is also evidence to suggest Russian-made missiles were used in the downing.
The separatists control access to the crash site, and countries such as the Netherlands and Australia have been pushing for unfettered access to the area.