Germany was warned of flying risk and failed to warn Ukraine, reports say

Reports have emerged that the German government was told of the risk of flying over eastern Ukraine shortly before flight MH17 was shot down last July, but failed to pass on the alert.

BBC, quoting German media reports that diplomatic cables sent 2 days before the crash said the situation had become "very alarming" with German intelligence repeatedly warning of the risk to aviation security.

The cables cited the downing of a Ukrainian air force plane at a height of about 6,000m (20,000ft) on the 14th of July.

The Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 which was flying from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur was brought down 3 days later, with the loss of 298 lives.

Investigators have appealed for witnesses to the launcher's arrival in a rebel-controlled area shortly before the crash. Their final report is due to be published in October.

The report further says that 3 Lufthansa planes flew over the area on the day of the disaster, including one 20 minutes beforehand, and it was pure chance that none was hit.

Also other German airlines had been avoiding the region for some time.