Dutch investigators and Australia's special envoy in Ukraine have downplayed suggestions there could be up to 100 bodies still at the MH17 crash site or otherwise missing as the grim task of identifying remains gets under way in the Netherlands.
The first bodies have been taken to Hilversum in Holland where the extensive forensic process of identifying passengers can begin.
The head of the Dutch forensic investigation team earlier this week revealed it wasn't known how many bodies had been recovered from the crash site in rebel-controlled eastern Ukraine.
"As far as we know at this moment, we are talking about 200 victims, which means there are probably remains left in the area where this disaster took place," Jan Tuinder said.
That statement led some to speculate there could be almost 100 bodies unaccounted for even though the Ukrainian government had insisted the remains of all 298 passengers on Malaysia Airlines flight 17 had been found.
But a spokeswoman for the Dutch forensic specialists says it's simply too early to tell.
Esther Naber told AAP the bags the bodies were originally placed in at the crash site hadn't been opened in Ukraine.
When the remains arrived in the government-controlled city of Kharkiv the body bags were placed inside new bags which were in turn put into coffins.
"During the identification process (in the Netherlands) it will gradually become clear how many people we can identify," Ms Naber told AAP.
"We feel confident that we have at least 200 bodies. But we don't know the exact amount because at this stage the (original) bags have not been opened."
Asked if it was possible there were indeed close to 300 bodies recovered, Ms Naber replied: "That's possible.
"We hope so because obviously we hope to identify everybody who was on the plane," she said.
Australia's special envoy in Ukraine says talking about body numbers is "premature" until the identification process is finished. And it's only just begun.
"Speculating on the numbers is not helpful," retired Air Chief Marshal Angus Houston told reporters at Kharkiv airport.
He also noted that Malaysian experts were at the crash site on Tuesday and at no time did they find any bodies or any body parts.
However, according to the European security body OSCE, human remains are still being found.
"There were human remains that had not been picked up," Ukraine mission spokesman Michael Bociurkiw said following a site visit.
Mr Houston acknowledged it was crucial to scour the 50 square-kilometre area to make sure no human remains are left behind. Australia also wants to gather personal effects and every last piece of the wreckage.
Up to 39 Australian citizens and residents were on MH17.
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