US officials: Can't link Russia directly to shootdown

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Senior U.S. intelligence officials say they have no evidence of direct Russian government involvement in the shooting down of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17.

They say the passenger jet was likely felled by an SA-11 surface-to-air missile fired by Russian-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine and that Russia "created the conditions" for the downing by arming the separatists.

President Barack Obama visits the Dutch Embassy in Washington to sign a book of condolence, joined by Deputy Chief of Mission Peter Mollema, Tuesday, July 22, 2014. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

The officials briefed reporters Tuesday under ground rules that their names not be used in discussing intelligence related to last week's air disaster, which killed 298 people.

They said they didn't know if any Russians were present at the missile launch, and they wouldn't say that the missile crew was trained in Russia.

A senior official said the most likely explanation was the plane was shot down by mistake.