The German government had been warned of a heightened risk of flying over eastern Ukraine just days before the MH17 disaster last year , it has been claimed . Despite being told of the risk of flying over Ukraine in diplomatic cables sent two days before the crash , Germany failed to pass on the warning , local media reported . Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 was shot down over rebel-held territory in eastern Ukraine on July 17 , and all 298 aboard were killed . Warning : Despite being told of the risk of flying over Ukraine in diplomatic cables two days before the MH17 crash , the German government failed to pass on the warning . German foreign ministry cables sent on July 15 , cited an incident from the day before when a Ukrainian air force plane was shot down at around 20,000 feet over rebel-held territory . German intelligence had repeatedly warned of the risk to aviation security , and had assessed the downing of the Ukrainian military plane on July 14 as a 'significant development because of its altitude ' , German public TV channels NDR and WDR and Sueddeutsche Zeitung reported . Earlier this month , the Dutch government - which lost 189 citizens in the disaster - said that , with nearly all of the victims identified , efforts had shifted . to finding those responsible for shooting the plane down as it flew over Ukraine last July . After a meeting of foreign ministers from Malaysia , Ukraine and Australia on the . sidelines of a cyber-security conference in The Hague , Holland 's Foreign Minister Bert Koenders said there was general agreement on this course of action . Tragedy : Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 was shot down over rebel-held territory in eastern Ukraine on July 17 last year , and all 298 aboard were killed . 'Now that we 're very far with repatriation ( of the victims ' remains ) , investigation and prosecution are becoming more . central , ' Koenders said in a statement . 'The ministers believe that prosecution is not only . important for the countries with victims on board . Civil aviation . is vulnerable and every safety violation is a concern shared . worldwide . ' Forensics laboratories in the Netherlands have identified . remains of 296 of the 298 MH17 victims and recovered large parts of the wreckage . for investigation . Prosecutors are testing the theory that the plane was shot . down by a surface-to-air BUK missile fired from an area held by . pro-Russian forces . Because two-thirds of the victims were Dutch citizens , the . Netherlands is leading several post-crash investigations . The final report is due to be published in October .
German government 'knew of risk of flying over Ukraine ' , it is claimed . Diplomatic cables refer to Ukrainian air force plane shot down on July 17 last year . Malaysia Airlines 's flight MH17 was shot down on July 14 .