A Malaysia Airlines passenger plane has reportedly crashed in Ukraine, on the border with Russia. All the latest details here

• Interfax reports that a Malaysian plane has crashed in Ukraine
• The plane was flying from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur
• 295 people were onboard
• Reports that the plane could have been shot down

16.57 More detail on the circumstances of the crash - although it must be stressed that this is only preliminary information.

Interfax-Ukraine quoted another Ukrainian official as saying the plane disappeared from radar when it was flying at 10,000 metres (33,000 feet), a typical cruising altitude for airliners.

It came down at Torez, near Shakhtersk, some 40 km (25 miles) from the Russia border. The area has been the scene of fighting between Ukrainian troops and pro-Russian rebels.

16.56 REUTERS - UKRAINE PRIME MINISTER ORDERS INVESTIGATION INTO MALAYSIAN "AIRPLANE CATASTROPHE", SAYS PLANE WAS EN ROUTE FROM AMSTERDAM

16.54 Witnesses from the town of Torez in the Donetsk Region told RIA Novosti that plane wreckage and dead bodies have been located in the vicinity. The crash took place near the Hrabovo village, outside Torez.

16.53 Interestingly, Russia Today says that the Ukrainian rebels - backed by Russia - have denied any involvement in the plane crash.

Quote The Donetsk People’s Republic, where fighting continues between Kiev and opposition, has rejected any involvement in the incident, as there are reports that the plane was shot down.

It said its self-defense forces just don’t have such military equipment.

Residents have reported about finding debris from a plane, which they say could belong to the Malaysian Boeing. They also said no bodies have been seen, RIA Novosti reports.

16.52 Russia Today has the following report:

Quote The head of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine Anton Geraschenko said the plane carrying 285 passengers and 15 crew members fell.

16.50 Reports suggest that the plane was shot down by a surface-to-air missile called a BUK.

Colin Freeman explains:

The BUK is a self-propelled, medium-range surface-to-air missile systems in the Soviet era and designed to engage cruise missiles, smart bombs, aircraf and and unmanned aerial vehicles. Modern versions can reach up to 80,000 feet.

16.47 Reaction to the plane crash is beginning to come in now.

This is from Carl Bildt, the Swedish foreign minister

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/ukraine/10974050/Malaysia-Airlines-plane-crashes-on-Ukraine-Russia-border-live.html

Space booked. In case #itmakesfrontpage#.
Any ways will confirm from the news tonight.

A Malaysian airliner reportedly with 295 people on board has crashed in Ukraine near the Russian border, on a flight from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur.

Malaysia Airlines said it had lost contact with Flight MH17 from Amsterdam. The last known position was over Ukraine, it said in a tweet.

An aviation source in Moscow told Reuters the plane had been found burning on the ground in east Ukraine.

Separatist rebels have been fighting government forces in the region.
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Analysis: Jonathan Beale, BBC News

A defence expert has told the BBC that shooting down a plane at 10,000m (9.7 miles) would have required a long- range surface-to-air missile - possibly guided by radar.

That suggests it is unlikely it could have been downed by a portable air defence missile, or Manpad, which has a much shorter range.

The only other possibility is for an aircraft at that height to be downed by a fighter carrying air-to-air missiles.

The US will have access to satellite imagery that should be able to identify ultra-violet plumes if a long-range surface-to-air missile was fired.
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A number of Ukrainian military planes have been shot down by missiles in recent weeks. Ukraine has accused Russia's military of supplying advanced missiles to the rebels.

Earlier on Thursday, Ukrainian officials blamed the Russian air force for shooting down one of its ground attack jets on Wednesday.

Anton Herashchenko, an adviser to Ukraine's interior minister, was quoted by the Associated Press as saying the plane had been hit by a missile at an altitude of 10,000m (33,000ft). The claim could not be verified independently.

The source which spoke to Reuters about burning wreckage on the ground said the plane had failed to enter Russian airspace.

The UK Foreign Office said it was aware of the reports of the crash and was "urgently working to establish what has happened".

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-28354856

Damn it!

The Russians are definitely responsible.