Reporter quits Russian TV channel over Malaysia Airlines crash coverage

A London-based reporter for Russia's state-owned English-language channel RT has quit in protest against its coverage of the Malaysia Airlines crash in Ukraine.

Sara Firth is the second person since March to publicly resign from RT, formerly known as Russia Today, over its coverage of the Ukraine crisis.

Hours after the crash that killed 298 people, Putin pointed the finger of blame at his Ukrainian counterpart Petro Poroshenko, saying it would not have happened if Kiev had not ended a ceasefire with the separatists.

Since then, reporting from Russia's tightly controlled media, which has favoured the rebels throughout the conflict, has largely supported Putin's conclusions, sharply diverging from Western coverage of the tragedy.

"I resigned from RT today," Firth wrote on Twitter. "I have huge respect for many in the team, but I'm for the truth." The Kremlin-funded channel, which provides a staunchly pro-Russia version of events, said Firth "has declared that she chooses the truth; apparently we have different definitions of truth".

"We believe the truth is what our reporters see on the ground, with their own eyes, and not what's printed in the morning London newspapers," spokeswoman Anna Belkina said.

She said RT was "not surprised" by Firth's decision to leave, as she had spoken of plans to switch jobs.