Update: July 18 2014 10:15 a.m. ET: Get the latest on the crash of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 on this post, which we'll continue updating throughout the day. There will be no further updates below.

5.40 a.m. ET: Most Passengers on Flight MH17 Were Dutch

The Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777-200 that was shot down over war-torn eastern Ukraine on Thursday was carrying 298 people from at least 10 countries.

Here is a breakdown of the nationalities of those on board:

Netherlands: 173

Malaysia: 44 (including 15 crew and two infants)

Australia: 28

Indonesia: 12 (including one infant)

United Kingdom: 9

Germany: 4

Belgium: 4

Philippines: 3

Canada: 1

New Zealand: 1

Hong Kong: 1

Unconfirmed nationalities: 18

1.30 a.m. ET: Malaysia Airlines says MH17 had clean maintenance record

Malaysia Airlines released a statement regarding the maintenance record of the plane, saying it had been in service for 17 years but it had a clean bill of health.

The B777-200 aircraft bearing registration no. 9M-MRD that operated MH17 on 17 July, 2014 had a clean maintenance record. The aircraft’s last maintenance check was on 11 July 2014. The next check was due on 27 Aug 2014. The maintenance was conducted at Malaysia Airlines’ hangar at KLIA. The aircraft had a clean bill of health.

The statement said the aircraft was manufactured in July 1997, had recorded 75322 hours and all communication system on the aircraft were functioning normally.

The B777-200, 9M-MRD that operated MH17 has been in service for 17 years. It had a clean maintenance record - http://t.co/HUIWQXl7dx — Malaysia Airlines (@MAS) July 18, 2014

10:45 p.m. ET: As many as 108 AIDS conference attendees killed

Around 100 of the passengers on the downed plane were reportedly AIDS researchers, other medical personnel and activists heading to the International AIDS Society conference in Melbourne.

That was the number given to delegates at the conference by organizers, according to the Sydney Morning Herald. The Australian is reporting the number as slightly higher: 108.

One of the most devastating losses for attendees was Joep Lange, who was president of the society from 2002 to 2004.

President Bill Clinton and Sir Bob Geldof are scheduled to speak at the conference; they were not on board the flight.

10:00 p.m. ET: U.S. clamps down on flights

The FAA has made official what most airlines were already doing: American flights are barred from entering the airspace of eastern Ukraine "until further notice," the agency says. Flights were already officially barred from Crimea and surrounding areas. Meanwhile, Secretary of State John Kerry has made the first official statement concerning the question of whether there were Americans on MH17:

'We are reviewing whether any American citizens were aboard the flight.' - Secretary of State @JohnKerry on #MH17 pic.twitter.com/UeB9MJ2Ivv — NBC Nightly News (@NBCNightlyNews) July 18, 2014

8:06 p.m. ET: Number of casualties increases to 298

In a media statement released at 7:30 a.m. Singapore time (7:30 p.m. ET), Malaysia Airlines amended the number of passengers that were on flight MH17.

While the airline's initial statement accounted for 280 passengers and 15 crew totaling 295 people, its list had apparently not included 3 infants, who were also on board. The official adjustment brings the total number of people who perished aboard the aircraft to 298.

Image: malaysiaairlines.com screenshot

"Our focus now is to work with the emergency responders and authorities and mobilize its full support to provide all possible care to the next-of-kin," the statement read.

7:30 p.m. ET: Clinton calls for European action

Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton commented at length on the attack in a scheduled interview with Charlie Rose on Thursday, pointing to a "growing awareness that it probably had to be Russian insurgents."

While she acknowledged that the identity of the culprits in unconfirmed, "If there is evidence linking Russia to this," she said, "that should inspire the Europeans to do much more" in the U.S.-led campaign to support the new Ukrainian government and deter Russian interference.

“Europeans have to be the ones to take the lead on this,” Clinton said, calling for tougher sanctions, an alternative to Russian natural gas company Gazprom, and more action in support of Ukrainian security.

If Russia is found to have a credible link to the destruction of the passenger plane, "there should be outrage in European capitals," and the EU should "put Putin on notice that he has gone too far," she said.

5:45 p.m. ET: Malaysian prime minister speaks

The Malaysian prime minister gave a statement — posted in full on Facebook — saying that no stone will be left unturned in the investigation that will follow Thursday’s crash.

“If it transpires that the plane was indeed shot down, we insist that the perpetrators must swiftly be brought to justice,” he says, adding that he’s spoken to both President Obama and the president of Ukraine and both have pledged their support.

Click "see more" above to read the full statement. More on the Prime Minister's statement, which was given at an emergency operations center in Kuala Lumpur, from Mashable's Jenni Ryall here.

5:10 p.m. ET: Putin blames Ukraine

Putin begins a meeting on Thursday with a moment of silence. Image: Press and Information Office of the President of Russia

Russian President Vladimir Putin gave remarks about the plane, expressing condolences to the bereaved families — then promptly blamed Ukraine. He said the Flight 17 disaster would never have happened if Kiev hadn't renewed operation against the rebels in east Ukraine, Reuters reported.

#BREAKING: Putin says airplane disaster would not have happened if Kiev had not renewed military operation against rebels in east Ukraine — Reuters Top News (@Reuters) July 17, 2014

A Dutch journalist tweeted the latest casualty count of those on board the doomed jetliner. The majority of those flying on Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 were Dutch. The largest group after that were Australians. There are still 47 unknowns.

Update Passengers #MH17: 154 Dutch, 47 unknown, 27 Aus, 23 Malaysia, 11 Indonesian, 6 UK, 4 German, 4 Belgians, 3 Philippines, 1 Canadian — Natalie Righton (@Natalie_Kabul) July 17, 2014

5 p.m. ET: U.S. confirms it was a surface-to-air missile

U.S. intelligence officials say the passenger plane was hit by a surface-to-air missile, CNBC reports, but are divided over its origin.

Vice President Joe Biden says it was “not an accident” and “blown out of the sky.”

Meanwhile, Ukrainian security services say a leaked tape that reveals pro-Russian rebels discussing the downed plane is authentic. In it, rebels in eastern Ukraine can be heard blaming “Cossacks” at a checkpoint down the road for shooting down the plane. Listen to it on Mashable.

3:10 p.m. ET: A devastating report

New York Times reporter Sabrina Tavernise reached the site of the crash before nightfall Thursday and describes a devastating scene:

As dark descended on the field, a light rain began to fall, casting a funereal pall over a scene of almost unspeakable horror. A woman in a black sweater top lay on her back, blood streaming from her face, her left arm raised as if signaling someone. Another victim, naked except for a black bra, lay on the field, her grey hair mixing with the green grasses, one leg broken and her body torn. A young boy, who looked to be around 10 years old, lay on his side in a red T-shirt reading “Don’t Panic.”

Read the full report.

2:50 p.m. ET: Ukrainians pay their respects

A crowd has gathered at the Dutch embassy in Kiev, Ukraine, as people lay flowers and candles in respect of those lost on Malaysia Airlines Flight 17. Reports say there were 71 Dutch on board the aircraft, which departed Amsterdam Thursday morning and downed in eastern Ukraine on its way to Kuala Lumpur.

Crowd near Embassy of the Netherlands in #Kyiv - pic by Marichka Padalko pic.twitter.com/Yhh4fQIvc3 — Myroslava Petsa (@myroslavapetsa) July 17, 2014

People bringing flowers and candles to the Embassy of the #Netherlands in #Kyiv - pic by Marichka Padalko pic.twitter.com/Xx59SfZWhg — Myroslava Petsa (@myroslavapetsa) July 17, 2014

Vice President Biden, meanwhile, who is traveling in Detroit on Thursday, spoke by phone with Ukraine's President Poroshenko. Biden offered U.S. assistance to help to determine what happened and why, per a White House pool report.

2:35 p.m. ET: See video of the crash site

Russian news agency LifeNews has obtained exclusive video of the crash site. It shows a pile of debris, bodies (which are blurred) and an emergency services person spraying water on the wreckage. The video also shows some of the passports of those on board.

2:20 p.m. ET: Obama calls it a "terrible tragedy"

“It looks like it might be a terrible tragedy,” President Obama said of the crash, while adding that the U.S. is trying to determine whether there were any Americans onboard the plane. “That is our first priority.” “The United States will offer any assistance we can to help determine what happened, and why,” he said.

1:55 p.m. ET: "A terrorist act"

Ukraine's President Petro Poroshenko says his government is launching an investigation into the incident, and called the event "a terrorist act."

Mashable's Andrew Freedman reports that major airlines are now avoiding the airspace over Ukraine in the wake of the reported downing of the Malaysian airline.

A live map of airplanes flying over the region shows they are avoiding Ukraine after Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 was reported shot down by separatists. Image: FlightAware.com

1:40 p.m. ET: U.S. citizens on board

There were 23 U.S. citizens on board the flight, a Ukrainian interior minister tells Interfax. The State Department, in a Thursday afternoon briefing, said it has no confirmed information about cause or causalities.

Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke with President Obama Thursday afternoon, and he noted the early reports of a downed passenger jet near the Russia-Ukraine border, according to the White House press secretary. The Kremlins says Putin informed Obama of an air traffic control message he had received moments before the call about the crash of the Malaysian aircraft over Ukraine.

1:21 p.m. ET: Footage from the crash

The footage below, which is from the scene of the crash, shows smoke rising after the plane went down.

Update: 1:17 p.m. ET

Russian President Vladimir Putin has expressed his "sincere condolences" to Malaysian Prime Minister Najob Razak, the Kremlin press service reports, according to RT.

RT also reports that Putin informed U.S. President Barack Obama about the crash immediately by phone, on the basis of air controller data.

White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest told reporters today that Obama and Putin spoke on the phone this morning but the topic of that phone call was sanctions regime.

“We’re aware of reports of a downed passenger jet near the Russian-Ukraine border, Earnest said. "The president has been briefed on these reports.”

1:05 p.m. ET: Militants on the scene

The first militant units of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic (DPR) have already reached the Boeing crash site in eastern Ukraine, DPR First Deputy Prime Minister Andrei Purgin told Interfax.

"Militant units are at the scene already. They have already reported that there are many dead, including children," Purgin said.

Emergencies Ministry members work at the site of a Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777 plane crash in the settlement of Grabovo in the Donetsk region, July 17, 2014. The Malaysian airliner was shot down over eastern Ukraine by pro-Russian militants on Thursday, killing all 295 people aboard, a Ukrainian interior ministry official said. Image: Reuters/Maxim Zmeyev

Flight recorders of the Malaysia Airlines Boeing, which crashed near Torez, will be given to Moscow for testing, Purgin said.

"Of course, we most likely will give them to the Interstate Aviation Committee (IAC), to Moscow. High-level experts, who will be able to determine exactly the reason of the catastrophe, work there, though it is clear," Purgin said.

Earlier: First reports

A Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777 plane carrying 280 passengers and 15 crew crashed in Ukraine near the country's border with Russia, according to an Interfax report.

A Reuters correspondent at the scene in eastern Ukraine reports seeing burning wreckage and bodies on the ground.

A Ukrainian government adviser, Anton Gerashenko, confirmed on Facebook that a plane carrying 295 people was shot down over a town in the east of the country. A source in Ukraine's National Security Council confirmed to Mashable's Chris Miller that the plane was downed. He also said it was hit by a missile fired from a Buk launcher, which can fire missiles up to an altitude of 72,000 feet. A launcher similar to the Buk missile system was seen by Associated Press journalists near the eastern Ukrainian town of Snizhne earlier Thursday. At least two videos posted to YouTube — both of them unconfirmed — show a black plume of smoke rising over the horizon. Photos shared on Russian network LifeNews reportedly show the debris site scattered across a field.

Debris shown on LifeNews reportedly marks the spot Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 went down in eastern Ukraine. Image: LifeNews

And photos shared on VK.com by Nadezhda Chernetskaya and corroborated by Storyful purport to show intact pieces of the downed jetliner.

This photo, uploaded to a VK account registered in the Ukraine, purports to show part of a Malaysian airliner downed in the Ukraine on July 17, according to Storyful. Image: VK/Nadezhda Chernetskaya

This picture, corroborated by Storyful, purports to show part of a Malaysian airliner downed in the Ukraine on july 17. The Malaysian flag can be clearly seen on the wreckage. Image: VK/Nadezhda Chernetskaya

This photo shows people looking at what appears to part of a fuselage near Donetsk on July 17 Image: VK/Nadezhda Chernetskaya

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko called for the creation of a government commission along with the ICAO (Ukrainian Aviation Security Training Centre) and other international organizations to investigate the tragedy of the Malaysia Airlines passenger plane.

Today, at approximately 4:20 p.m. Malaysia Airlines No. 17, which was flying the route from Amsterdam - Kuala - Lumpur, disappeared from radar screens. In recent days, this is the third tragic accident, after the AN-26 and SU-25 aircrafts of the Armed Forces of Ukraine were shot down from the Russian territory. We do not exclude that this aircraft was also shot down, and stress that the Armed Forces of Ukraine did not commit any actions in the air [at the time of the downing]. The President of Ukraine on behalf of the State expresses its deepest and most sincere condolences to the families and relatives of those killed in this terrible tragedy. Every possible search and rescue effort is being made. The President appealed to the Cabinet in order to quickly create a State commission to investigate the causes of this tragedy. The President proposed to involve the work of experts of the Commission of the ICAO and other international organizations, and representatives of the Netherlands and Malaysia. We are confident that those responsible for this tragedy will be brought to justice.

The Malaysian prime minister tweeted, "I am shocked by reports that an MH plane crashed. We are launching an immediate investigation."

I am shocked by reports that an MH plane crashed. We are launching an immediate investigation. — Mohd Najib Tun Razak (@NajibRazak) July 17, 2014

Malaysia Airlines tweeted that it "lost contact" with the plane and that "the last known position was over Ukrainian airspace."

It also issued a statement on Facebook.

Boeing tweeted, " Our thoughts and prayers are with those on board MH17, as well as their families and loved ones. We stand ready to provide assistance."

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 adviser to Ukraine’s Interior Ministry reports the plane was brought down by a ground-to-air missile, Reuters tweeted on Thursday, and the Ukrainian interior ministry adviser says there are no survivors, according to The Telegraph.

The rebels have reportedly taken over the crash site.

The Ukrainian Air Traffic agency reportedly confirmed a Malaysia Airlines plane crashed near Ukrainian-Russian border. Reuters, citing Interfax as well, reports that the plane was shot down at an altitude of 10 km above eastern Ukraine, which has been the battleground of a months-long war between Ukrainian government forces and pro-Russian rebels.

The flight was said to be "found burning on the ground in Ukraine," a source tells Interfax. Below is the flight path of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17, which left from Amsterdam on Thursday.

A map of the flight's route, from flightstats.com, shows the plane's last known location over Donetsk, Ukraine. Image: flightstats

This marks the second time that a Malaysia Airlines plane has been lost in less than six months.

Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 disappeared in March while en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing. It has not been found, but the search has been concentrated in the Indian Ocean far west of Australia.

Additional reporting by The Associated Press.