Ukraine - this is serious

[Gullscorer]

Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 from Amsterdam has been shot down by a ground-to-air missile over eastern Ukraine, ostensibly by eastern Ukraine rebels with a missile supplied by Russia. All 295 people on board have died.

This is an atrocity and a war crime, even if it was a criminally negligent mistake rather than a deliberate action.

It looks as if the rebels, and the Russians, are now going to be required to answer to the international community for a new and dangerous situation in that part of the world. Authorities need to act swiftly, but with awareness that this could escalate into a perilous international war situation.

Putin, especially, now needs to act responsibly with the Ukraine government to ensure this kind of atrocity does not happen again.

Unfortunately, I fear he's no statesman, but rather, too much of a power-crazy political overlord. I hope I'm wrong.

[ferrarilover]

Biggest. Fishing. Rod. EVAR!

Matt.

[Gullscorer]

Don't understand that, Matt..

Anyway, the OP relied on early news reports, and we are still awaiting developments. But the big question which occurs to me is: given that a Ukrainian plane had already recently been shot down, why the hell was a commercial airliner flying over a war zone instead of going round it?