MH17 Dutch memorial day: Victims honoured in Amsterdam

Nearly 200 of the plane's 298 victims came from the Netherlands.

Ukraine and Western countries accuse pro-Russian rebels of shooting the plane down with a Russian-made missile, an accusation which Russia denies.

The exact cause of the crash in eastern Ukraine has not been established.

President Vladimir Putin said on Monday that allegations that the rebels were hampering efforts to find out what happened to the plane were "totally unfounded".

He said that Russia supported a full and impartial investigation into the crash.

Friends and relatives of the victims read out the names and ages of those who died in a ceremony attended by Dutch King Willem-Alexander, Prime Minister Mark Rutte and other dignitaries.

There were poignant moments when the names of entire families were read out, often in Dutch but also in English, reflecting the 10 nationalities of the victims.

Dutch PM Mark Rutte spoke of his feelings of helplessness and despair in the aftermath of the disaster.

"[The passengers'] lives will forever be unfinished," he said. "Their voices will never again be heard. Their presence, their talents, their friendship and their love - it has all been taken from you. Just like that."

298 victims from 10 countries

• Netherlands: 196
• Malaysia: 42
• Australia: 27
• Indonesia: 11
• UK: 10
• Belgium: 4
• Germany: 3
• Philippines: 3
• Canada: 1
• New Zealand: 1

MH17 Dutch memorial day: Air disaster that touched a nation

Mr Rutte said that the commemoration would provide "a chance for the Netherlands to show the next-of-kin that they are not standing alone".

However, the BBC's Anna Holligan in the Netherlands says that Mr Rutte still cannot answer the most pressing questions asked by bereaved families - who was responsible for shooting down the plane and when will all of the remains of the victims be repatriated?

Such was the impact of the MH17 crash in the Netherlands that 17 July 2014 is often referred to as the country's 9/11.