Malaysia Airlines confirmed that it has lost another Boeing 777: Flight MH17 from Kuala Lumpur to Amsterdam, over a restive region near Donetsk, Ukraine.
There were 280 passengers on board and 15 crew members.
The incident comes a day after President Obama announced new sanctions on Russia. “Along with our allies, with whom I’ve been coordinating closely the last several days and weeks, I’ve repeatedly made it clear that Russia must halt the flow of weapons and fighters across the border into Ukraine; that Russia must urge separatists to release their hostages and support a cease-fire; that Russia needs to pursue internationally-mediated talks and agree to meaningful monitors on the border,” Obama said Wednesday evening.
“On top of the sanctions we have already imposed, we are therefore designating selected sectors of the Russian economy as eligible for sanctions,” he said. “We are freezing the assets of several Russian defense companies. And we are blocking new financing of some of Russia’s most important banks and energy companies. These sanctions are significant, but they are also targeted — designed to have the maximum impact on Russia while limiting any spillover effects on American companies or those of our allies.”
White House press secretary Josh Earnest said Obama and Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke by phone this morning about the new sanctions regime. It was unclear if that call took place before or after MH17 went down.
Earnest told reporters aboard Air Force One en route to Delaware that Obama “had been briefed about the airliner crash and had instructed his staff to keep him updated,” according to the White House pool report.
Obama is speaking at the Port of Wilmington today to “announce a new initiative, using his pen and his phone, to increase private sector investment in our nation’s infrastructure.”
Malaysia Airlines, which lost Flight MH370 in March, has given few updates as the situation unfolds.
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
An aide to Ukraine’s interior minister posted on Facebook that they believe the plane was taken down by a Buk missile system “kindly” given to pro-Russian rebels in the region.
The aide said the plane was flying at 10,000 meters when it was taken down. “Cynicism of Putin and his terrorists have no limit! Europe, USA, Canada, the civilized world – open your eyes! Help us all what you can! This is a war between good and evil!” the aide wrote.
“Here’s a video from the crash site! Some rascals shouted ‘Beauty! Beautifully lit’! Nonhumans!”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GYXwsTAd4zU Ukrainians posted photos of a Dutch passport reportedly found near the crash site.
@MiddleEast_BRK Dutch Passport found pic.twitter.com/ae6FqPcmqJ — Андрій (@AndrijUKR) July 17, 2014
Flight #MH-17 #Torez #Donetsk #Ukraine by Nadezhda Chernetskaya pic.twitter.com/2o0SGVnjbE
— legionar (@MatevzNovak) July 17, 2014
Flight #MH-17 #Torez #Donetsk #Ukraine by Nadezhda Chernetskaya pic.twitter.com/adpUsbsBup
— legionar (@MatevzNovak) July 17, 2014
Flight #MH-17 #Torez #Donetsk #Ukraine by Nadezhda Chernetskaya pic.twitter.com/nrokR3svTU
— legionar (@MatevzNovak) July 17, 2014
Flight #MH-17 #Torez #Donetsk #Ukraine by Nadezhda Chernetskaya pic.twitter.com/z4byDeovcp
— legionar (@MatevzNovak) July 17, 2014
Flight #MH-17 #Torez #Donetsk #Ukraine More photos pic.twitter.com/XjaQYTniDv
— legionar (@MatevzNovak) July 17, 2014
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