KIEV, Ukraine — A pro-Russia rebel leader says no black boxes have been found in the scattered wreckage of the Malaysia Airlines plane that was shot down over eastern Ukraine, conflicting with a statement made by an aide to a rebel military leader.

Separatist leader Aleksandr Borodai says “no black boxes have been found … We hope that experts will track them down and create a picture of what has happened.”

Earlier Friday, an aide to rebel military leader Igor Girkin, a Russian better known by his assumed name, Strelkov, said authorities had recovered eight out of 12 recording devices.

Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 was carrying 298 people when it was shot out of the sky on Thursday near the Ukraine-Russia border.