Remains of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 victims will be flown to Malaysia

Malaysia's defense minister announced Tuesday that the remains of Malaysian victims aboard Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 will be flown home this week.

When the plane was shot down over eastern Ukraine on July 17, all 298 passengers were killed. Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 was en route to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and had departed from Amsterdam. The plane's passengers included 43 Malaysians as well as 195 Dutch nationals.

In his announcement Tuesday, Malaysian defense Minister Hishammuddin Hussein said that 28 Malaysian victims have been identified so far. The victims include 15 passengers and 13 crew members. The remains of the 15 Malaysian passengers, as well as the remains of a Dutch national married to a Malaysian, will be flown to Kuala Lumpur.

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The remains are scheduled to arrive in Malaysia on Friday, and Malaysia's government has pronounced Friday a national day of mourning.