Malaysian Flight Down Over Ukraine

[Content Note: Death; images of wreckage at link.]

A Malaysia Airlines flight with 295 passengers and crew on board appears to have been shot down over Ukraine. There are no survivors.

At this point, there is very little information about who shot down the commercial airliner or why, or whether it was even deliberate.

I will update this post as new info becomes available.

As always, please feel welcome and encouraged to drop info into comments, though I request that this remain an image-free thread.

UPDATE 1: This incident appears to be unrelated to the disappearance of Malaysian Airlines Flight 370 four months ago. This terrible coincidence, however, will naturally exacerbate the trauma experienced by many Malaysians following the disappearance of Flight 370.

Even for people who haven't personally lost anyone on either flight, the doubling up of major incidents like this can be extremely upsetting. (Not to mention this will provoke a lot of anxiety about flying, and people still have to fly for work, etc.) National trauma doesn't get talked about a whole lot, but it's hard to weather for a lot of folks. My thoughts are not only with the family, friends, and colleagues of those lost, but with all the people of Malaysia.

UPDATE 2: The United States was already advising US flights to avoid this airspace before today. Now other countries, as well as many airlines, are following suit.

UPDATE 3: "Ukraine's state security chief has accused two Russian military intelligence officers of being involved in the MH17 crash" based on intercepted telephone calls, the authenticity of which has not been confirmed.