Ms Bishop, who is in the United States to lobby UN delegates over the investigation into the shooting down of MH17, told Sky News on Monday morning that Mr Abbott had spoken to Mr Putin overnight.

Australia is pushing for security council members to back a binding resolution on the investigation into last Friday’s shooting down of the commercial flight, which killed 298 diedpeople, including 28 Australian citizens.

Australia circulated a draft text to the 15-member United Nations Security Council late on Saturday, with diplomats said it could be put to a vote as early as Monday.

The Australian move came as the Ukraine government held secret video-conferences with the separatists it calls ‘‘terrorists’’ over gaining full access to the MH17 crash site – admitting the site cannot be secured without the local militants’ agreement.

But Ukraine called on the international community to also place pressure on Russia to get the necessary deal done.

There were reports of a deal to remove the bodies made between Kiev and the insurgents but hundreds of machinegun-toting pro-Russian rebels guard the site and are allowing only very limited access to outsiders.

Amid claims of looting, the process of removing the bodies is currently being carried out by untrained local workers, and their destination after removal is unclear.

The Governor-General, Sir Peter Cosgrove, fixed on the fate of Australians lying in a Ukraine field while joining about 2000 mourners on Sunday at Sydney's St Mary's Cathedral.

‘‘Their lives were taken in an absence of respect and dignity and humanity," he said. "Our overriding wish is that we can give them that love and respect and dignity in their passing. And we say: let's bring them home."

Prime Minister Tony Abbott said recovering the bodies was Australia's top priority, but pro-Russian rebels had made the grim task complicated.

‘‘The difficulty is that the site is chaotic. It's absolutely chaotic," the Prime Minister told the ABC.

‘‘While my first priority at the moment is the recovery of the bodies and the treatment of the dead with dignity, it is very important that we have a thorough investigation and it's critical that those responsible for this heinous crime are brought to justice.’’

Mr Abbott confirmed that he had not spoken to Russian President Vladimir Putin and that Russia's Foreign Minister had still not accepted Ms Bishop’s request to speak to him on the telephone.

"I made crystal clear my concerns and dissatisfaction with the way this has been handled," Mr Abbott said.

President Putin accused the West of being too quick to blame Russian-backed separatists for shooting the plane down but he did signal support for a multinational investigation.

Meanwhile, Victorian Premier Denis Napthine backed the move by his Queensland counterpart, Campbell Newman, that President Putin would not be welcome at the G20 conference in Brisbane in November if he did not cooperate with investigations into the MH17 attack.

Controversy continued over Malaysia Airlines' decision to fly over the war zone but a graphic compiled by German magazine Der Spiegel with data from Flightradar24 showed the Asian carrier was not alone in flying over eastern Ukrainian airspace.

Russian national carrier Aeroflot flew over the area 86 times in the week before the shooting and Singapore Airlines crossed the area 75 times. Other carriers that used the airspace included Lufthansa, Thai Airways, Qatar Airways, Emirates and Etihad Airways.

However, British Airways, Air France and Cathay Pacific were among major carriers that avoided the route.

Owen Zupp, the author of The Pilot's Blog, said Malaysia Airlines and others had been within their rights to fly over eastern Ukraine as it was deemed safe by the International Air Transport Association and the International Civil Aviation Organisation.

“However, some of the factors to be considered were undoubtedly the restricted airspace below the route and the reason for that restriction and the warnings that had been issued regarding operations in the region,” he said.

“These warnings had prompted other airlines to avoid the Ukraine airspace. There is also the apparent shooting down of other aircraft in the area and the feasibility of flying alternate routes.

“That flight through the area may have been legal, but one must wonder whether it was prudent.”