Malaysian Airlines MH17 passenger plane carrying 295 people 'shot down with ground-to-air missile' at 33,000ft over Ukraine near to Russian Boarder.

A Malaysian Airlines passenger plane has been shot down on the Russian-Ukraine border, killing all 295 people on board, according to a Ukrainian interior ministry official.

Flight MH17, which was carrying 280 passengers and 15 crew, was flying between Amsterdam and Kuala Lumpur after taking off at lunchtime today. 

The Interfax news agency reported that the aircraft went missing near Donetsk, where pro-Russian rebels have been fighting Ukrainian government forces.

TV pictures from the scene showed a pall of smoke billowing into the sky apparently from the stricken aircraft.

Witnesses say body parts are scattered over a distance of 15km, suggesting the plane broke up in mid-air.

A statement released by the Ukrainian President denying the plane was shot down by government forces

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