Erstellt am: 18. 7. 2014 - 14:30 Uhr

The evidence is "circumstantial but mounting"

Reality Check: Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 shot down: the investigation and repercussions.

Malaysia Airlines

EPA/Ahmad Yusni

The downing of flight MH17 over eastern Ukraine has sparked shock and outrage around the globe. There were no survivors from the crash, which left wreckage and bodies scattered across kilometres of rebel-held territory near Ukraine's border with Russia.

World leaders are demanding an international investigation, while Ukraine and Moscow blame each other for the disaster. US officials seem pretty convinced there is strong evidence indicating that the Malaysian Airlines flight was shot down by a sophisticated surface-to-air missile, but it’s not clear who fired it.

The tragedy also raises questions about how the crisis between Russia and the West is likely to develop, as well as aviation safety and why some airlines had already been avoiding Ukrainian airspace when others weren’t.

Reality Check spoke to three experts to get their perspectives: