WASHINGTON, Aug. 12 – Washington continues to support the investigation into the causes of the Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 crash in Ukraine's east being conducted by the Netherlands, but it still believes the plane was shot down by surface-to-air missiles fired by Russian-backed separatists, said Mark Toner, deputy spokesperson for the U.S. Department of State.

"We obviously continue to support efforts to bring those responsible, to hold them accountable for the deaths of 298 passengers and crew. I'm aware of the reports that you mentioned earlier today; we certainly support the Dutch investigation. I know that the National Transportation Safety Board is participating in that investigation, but our assessment hasn't changed. We still believe this was the work of Russian-backed separatists," Toner said when asked to comment on the latest data of the Dutch inquiry.