5:45 am

U.S. Vice President Joe Biden said on Thursday it appeared that the downing of a Malaysian airliner near the Ukraine-Russia border was not an accident and that the passenger jet apparently was "blown out of the sky."

"This is truly a grave situation," Biden said in a speech in Detroit.

5:35 am

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday said Ukraine bore responsibility for the downing of a passenger plane in the country's east, saying it would not have happened if Kiev had not resumed a military campaign against separatists.

"This tragedy would not have happened, if there had been peace on that land, or in any case if military operations in southeastern Ukraine had not been renewed," he said in televised comments.

"And without doubt the government of the territory on which it happened bears responsibility for this frightening tragedy," he said, adding that he had urged the Russian authorities to do everything possible to help with the investigation into the incident.

"We will do everything that we can so that an objective pictured of what happened can be achieved," Putin said. "This is a completely unacceptable thing."

5:34 am

The Chinese government was shocked by the crash of a Malaysian plane in Ukraine and determining whether there were Chinese citizens onboard, a foreign ministry spokesman said.

"We are shocked by the news that the Malaysia Airlines MH17 flight crashed in eastern Ukraine. We convey our deep condolence to the victims and our sincere sympathy to their families," Qin Gang said in a statement.

2:50 am

The director of Eurocontrol, which controls air traffic across Europe, says that Ukrainian airspace has now been closed after reports of the crash. Speaking to Radio 5 Live, Tytgat Luc said there were four aircraft flying in the same area at the same time that the crash occurred, but that they continued their flights.

2:41 am

"The president of Russia asked the prime minister of Malaysia to convey his deepest sympathy and support to the victims' families," Malaysia's Bernama state news agencyreported, citing Putin's official website.

2:39 am

Chinese embassy in Malaysia has not received report of Chinese citizen on board MH17 flight which crashed in Ukraine, Xinhua reported.

2:34 am

At least four French nationals on board, France's foreign minister said.

2:26 am

US President Barack Obamasaid the crash was a "terrible tragedy" and the United States would offer any assistance necessary to help determine what happened and why.

Obama said officials were looking into whether U.S. citizens were on board the plane.

2:25 am

Italy's Alitalia became another airline to divert flights away from eastern Ukraine in the wake of the incident. The list also includes: Lufthansa, Air France, British Airways, Russia's Aeroflot, Turkish Airlines, BBC reported.

2:11 am

Obamato address Malaysian plane crash at beginning of remarks in Delaware, starting shortly: White House

2:09 am

Reuters tweeted - Malaysian airliner was flying normally without problems until disappeared from radar: head of Ukrainian airspace regulatory body.

2:07 am

Map shows the flight path of Malaysian Airlines flight MH17 which crashed in Eastern Ukraine on Thursday.

　　1:59 am

It remains uncertain whether there are Chinese citizens on the Malaysian Airlines flight MH17 that crashed in Ukraine, Chinese embassy in Ukraine told BeijingNews. The embassy also said it is keeping close contact with Ukrainian authorities.