Ukraine on Saturday claimed it has "compelling evidence" that Russian crew operated the missile system that downed a Malaysian jet with 298 people on board and accused Moscow of helping rebels in trying to destroy evidence.

As the blame game continued with Russia accusing the US and the West of pointing fingers at it to push their Ukraine agenda, a team of Malaysian investigators touched down in Kiev.

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said the US administration sought to pin the blame on separatists and Russia without waiting for the results of an investigation.

As militants kept international monitors away from wreckage and scores of bodies festered for a third day, Russian President Vladimir Putin urged the rebels to cooperate and insisted that a UN-mandated investigation must not leap to conclusions. Moscow denies involvement and has pointed a finger at Kiev's military.

The Dutch government, whose citizens made up more than half the 298 aboard MH17 , said it was "furious" at the manhandling of corpses strewn for miles over open country and asked Ukraine's president for help.

After US President Barack Obama said the loss of the Kuala Lumpur-bound flight showed it was time to end the conflict, Germany called it Moscow's last chance to cooperate. European powers seemed to swing behind Washington's belief that Russia's separatist allies were to blame.

"He has one last chance to show he means to help," Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte said after a telephone call to Putin. Britain, which lost 10 citizens, said Prime Minister David Cameron agreed with Rutte that the EU, warier than Washington of hurting its own economy by imposing sanctions, should reconsider its approach due to evidence of rebel guilt. — Reuters