A Malaysia Airlines passenger plane carrying 280 passengers and 15 crewmembers onboard was reportedly shot down in Ukraine airspace near the Russian border.

Malaysia Airlines Passenger Plane Crashes

Malaysia Airlines revealed Tuesday afternoon through Twittter that they’d lost contact with the plane, which was heading to Kuala Lumpur from Amsterdam. “Malaysia Airlines has lost contact of MH17 from Amsterdam. The last known position was over Ukrainian airspace. More details to follow,” read the tweet.

The plane was allegedly shot down at cruising altitude, according to Russia’s Interfax news agency, which has also reported that there were no survivors in the crash. Advisor to Ukraine’s Interior Minister Anton Gerashenko has also stated that the plane was indeed shot down, and shared harsh words for Russia’s President Vladimir Putin on his Facebook page.

“Cynicism of Putin and his terrorists, there is no limit!,” Gerashenko wrote. “Europe, the United States, Canada, the civilized world — open your eyes! Help us all that you can! It is a war of good versus evil!”

Malaysian Defense Minister Hishammuddin Hussein took a more diplomatic approach while addressing the matter on Twitter. He reassured Malaysian citizens and others inquiring about the incident that he was “monitoring this closely” and that though it had not officially been confirmed that the plane was shot down, “[The Malaysia] military have been instructed 2 get on it.”

Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17, en route to Kuala Lumpur from Amsterdam, crash-landed in Grabovo in the Donetsk region of Ukraine, a region that has become increasingly violent as the dispute between Ukraine and ethnic Russian separatists continues to rage. As of yet, neither faction has taken responsibility for downing the passenger plane.

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