According to the Associated Press and current breaking network news coverage, a surface-to-air missile was reportedly responsible for a Malaysia Airlines passenger plane crashing in Ukraine today. At least two amateur video clips have been posted to YouTube proclaiming to be post-crash footage, but Malaysia Airlines Tweeted that it has lost contact with MH17 from Amsterdam, and the last known position was “over Ukrainian airspace,” while the AP confirmed that the Adviser to Ukraine’s Interior Minister said the plane was in fact shot down.
BREAKING: Adviser to Ukraine's Interior Minister says passenger plane carrying 295 shot down.
— The Associated Press (@AP) July 17, 2014
Malaysia Airlines has lost contact of MH17 from Amsterdam. The last known position was over Ukrainian airspace. More details to follow.
— Malaysia Airlines (@MAS) July 17, 2014
Reuters also reported that a Buk ground-to-air missile was confirmed by the Interior Minister as the weapon used to shoot this plane down, while Moscow Times reporter Ivan Nechepurenko Tweeted that insurgents “recently captured” such a missile.
Insurgents recently captured the Buk anti-aircraft missile that the #Ukrainian Interior Ministry says shot down the Malaysian plane
— Ivan Nechepurenko (@INechepurenko) July 17, 2014
Additionally, from the Washington Post:
Anton Gerashenko, an adviser to Ukraine’s Interior Minister, said on his Facebook page the plane was flying at an altitude of 10,000 meters (33,000 feet) when it was hit by a missile fired from a Buk launcher. A similar launcher was seen by Associated Press journalists near the eastern Ukrainian town of Snizhne earlier Thursday.
Here is one of the amateur videos recently uploaded to YouTube. Whether or not this is actual footage of smoke from the crash is unknown, but we will update this as new information becomes available.