A Malaysia Airlines flight has crashed in Eastern Ukraine, according to several reports.
Russian news agency Interfax reported Thursday the Boeing 777 went down near the border between Russia and Ukraine. The agency says the 295 people on board have died.
Malaysia Airlines has yet to confirm the crash actually happened. (Via YouTube / EuroMaidan PR)
But the airline tweeted Thursday morning it had lost contact with the plane, which was flying from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur. The last known location of MH17 was over Ukrainian airspace.
Malaysia's prime minister responded to the reports soon after the news broke: "I am shocked by reports that an MH plane crashed. We are launching an immediate investigation."
Boeing also tweeted that it was aware of reports of the crash and was working to gather more information.
The official cause of the crash is still unknown, and the U.S. media has been vague with the details so far.
But Ukrainian news outlet The Insider is reporting the plane was shot down by a "ground-to-air missile." A Ukrainian official also reportedly confirmed it.
An anonymous source told The Wire both Ukrainian and Russian TV stations are being careful to say Russia is about 200 kilometers away from the reported crash site.
If MH17 was actually shot down, White House reporter Paul Brandus points out "it [would] bring to mind KAL 007 in 1983." (Via Twitter / @WestWingReports)
He is referring to Korean Air Lines Flight 007, which was shot down by a Soviet Su-15 interceptor in the Sea of Japan on Sept. 1, 1983. All 269 people on board were killed. (Via History Channel)
These reports follow news that a Ukrainian official accused Russian forces of shooting down one of the country's warplanes on Wednesday. (Via Los Angeles Times)
The reported crash in Ukraine comes just months after Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 disappeared without a trace in March.
