Was Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 Shot Down By Pro-Russian Rebels?

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A Malaysia Airlines airplane has crashed somewhere over Ukraine. Malaysian Airlines has confirmed that it has lost contact with the plane while a Russian news agency is reporting that the plane itself has crashed. A video of a large plum of smoke is circling the web, purportedly showing the smoke from the crashed plane.

The plane reportedly crashed near the border of Russia and Ukraine and already some are speculating that it was shot down. Just today the Ukrainian government accused the Russians of shooting down one of their military jets.

Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 was carrying some 295 people, including 270 passengers and 15 staff. The flight originated in Amsterdam and was on its way to Kuala Lumpur, the capital city of Malaysia. The aircraft involved was a Boeing 777.

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Ukrainian Government Says Malaysia Airlines Craft Shot Down

The Ukrainian government is claiming that Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 was shot down. The government claims separatists have advanced “Buk” missile launchers, possibly supplied by the Russian government, which would be capable to shooting down a commercial airliner. The aircraft was flying at about 33,000 feet when it was supposedly shot down.

Numerous other on-the-ground witnesses have also been reporting through other media outlets that a surface-to-air missile was used. These reports have not yet been confirmed, however, and it’s possible that the Ukrainian government is trying to use the incident to sway support against the Russian government.

While many are now questioning why commercial aircraft are even flying through the contested areas, it has been common practice. Given the current situation, however, aviation rules may soon be changing. With rebels and non-governmental forces across the world now able to acquire advanced weaponry with relative ease, war zones are becoming all the most dangerous.

Pro-Russian Rebels Deny Involvement

Russian Rebels are denying any involvement in the shooting down of the Malaysian Airlines flight. According to rebels, they possess only two anti-aircraft rocket launchers, each with a range of only 5 kilometers. This would be below the estimated flight ceiling of 33,000 feet for the Malaysian airliners flight.

Malaysian Government Back In the Spot Light

The Malaysian government has yet to launch a full statement on the issue. The Malaysian Prime Minister, Najib Razak, did send out a Tweet confirming the crash and expressing his sympathies. Given the criticism of how the government handled the last airplane incident, the government will likely be looking to handle the situation better this time around.

Meanwhile, many have already been speculating that Malaysian Airlines was all but bankrupt and likely to be shut down, sold off, or forced into a bankruptcy protection. This second crash comes only 4 months after another flight simply disappeared. That flight, MH370, has yet to be found.

Important Tweets for Malaysia Airlines MH17 (with Photos):

 

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