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Interfax news agency reports that a Malaysian jet has crashed in eastern Ukraine, near the Russian border. The Malaysian Airlines passenger plane had 295 people on board and was on its way from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur.

Anton Gerashenko, an adviser to Ukraine’s Interior Minister, wrote on Facebook that the plane was hit by a missile fired from a Buk launcher over the country’s east, the Associated Press notes.

Malaysia Airlines confirmed it had lost contact with flight MH17 and that its last position was over Ukrainian airspace.

A Russian aviation industry source told Reuters that the plane did not enter Russian airspace when expected.

Ukraine’s east has seen heavy fighting between the country’s military and separatist in recent days. Earlier on Thursday, the Ukrainian military claimed Russian jets had shot down a Ukrainian warplane late Wednesday night.
This is breaking news. Check back later for updates.

Malaysia Airlines plane crash: 295 killed after Boeing passenger jet ’shot down’ in Ukraine

The commercial Boeing airliner was flying from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur, the source told the Interfax news agency.

The aircraft involved is understood to be a Boeing 777 with flight number MH17, which departed from Amsterdam at 12.14am local time, 15 minutes alter than scheduled, according to flight records.

The airliner was flying from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur

It was expected to arrive in Malaysia at 6:10am local time, but did enter Russian airspace when it was expected to, a Russian aviation source told Reuters.

The Interfax report said the plane came down 50 km (20 miles) short of entering Russian airspace. It "began to drop, afterwards it was found burning on the ground on Ukrainian territory," the unnamed source said.

The plane appeared to have come down in a region of military action where Ukrainian government forces are battling pro-Russian separatists.