Cadaver dogs assist in Ukraine crash site search; more remains found

Despite mortar fire echoing Saturday in the distance, the international team combing through the wreckage of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 in eastern Ukraine felt safe enough to carry out its recovery mission for a second consecutive day.

A respite from the fighting close to the July 17 crash site meant free reign for two cadaver dogs and 70 recovery team members. They scoured the debris field left by MH17, and they found human remains and personal belongings in and around a chicken farm near the village of Grabovo, Pieter-Jaap Aalbersberg, head of the Dutch recovery mission, said in a statement.

Because of the ongoing battles between pro-Russia rebels and the Ukrainian government, Saturday was only the third day that monitors and experts had unrestricted access to the site since Flight 17 was brought down by a suspected surface-to-air missile, killing all 298 people aboard.

July 25 was the only date before Friday that a "full visit had been possible," according to the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, which escorted the experts to the crash site.

The team has set up a new base in the town of Soledar, to the northwest of the debris field, Aalbersberg said. But the recovery mission still has personnel in the cities of Kharkiv and Donetsk, the latter a rebel stronghold that has seen fighting this week.