malaysia-airlines
Air traffic control relies on radar – a technology that came into widespread use during World War II – to track aircraft in the air. Creative Commons

This is a breaking news story. Check back for updates.

A Malaysia Airlines passenger plane was shot down over Ukraine on Thursday, killing all 295 people on board, according to reports from the Interfax-Ukraine news agency. A Ukrainian interior ministry official is quoted by the news agency, though these reports are still unconfirmed.

Flight MH17 was flying from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur when it came down near the city of Donetsk, which is a stronghold of pro-Russian rebels. Malaysia Airlines tweeted that it lost contact with the Boeing 777 while it was flying over Ukrainian airspace.

Reuters quoted Ukrainian official Anton Gerashchenko: "A civilian airliner traveling from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur has just been shot down by a Buk anti-aircraft system ... 280 passengers and 15 crew have been killed."

Interfax-Ukraine also reported that the plane disappeared from radar while it was flying at 10,000 meters (33,000 feet).

The crash site is about 25 miles from the Russia border, reported Reuters.