Update: so yes, it was shot down according to flashing headlines.
- MALAYSIAN PASSENGER JET WAS SHOT DOWN AT 10 KM ALTITUDE: IFX
While we hope it is a horrific accident, and has yet to be officially confirmed by Malaysian Airlines, the timing is oddly coincidental. From Bloomberg.
- INTERFAX SAYS PLANE MAY HAVE CRASHED NEAR RUSSIA-UKRAINE BORDER
- MALAYSIAN BOEING 777 MAY HAVE CRASHED IN UKRAINE: INTERFAX
The crash happened near Donetsk and the plane had 280 passengers on board. The question is - accident? Or was it shot down by Russia or Ukraine as a provocation.
The passenger jet was bound for Kuala Lumpur from Amsterdam, Interfax reports, citing an unidentified aviation official.
Airliner began losing altitude 50 km before entering Russian air space; wreckage was found burning on Ukrainian territory
Crash happend near Donetsk, where Ukrainian govt troops are fighting rebels: IFX
Boeing 777 passenger airplane of Malaysian Airlines crashed on the territory of Ukraine in 60 km from the Russian border, a source in air traffic control circles told ITAR-TASS.
The source noted that the flight was supposed to enter the Russian air space at 17:20 Moscow standard time (13:20 UTC).
“However, it fell down in 60 km from the border; the plane’s emergency location beacon went off,” the source said.