Planes told to stay clear of east Ukraine

Europe's air safety agency has "strongly recommended" that flights avoid both eastern Ukraine and Crimean airspace following the apparent downing of a Malaysian civilian aircraft in rebel-held territory.

"Due to the unsafe situation created by a conflict on the eastern border of Ukraine and the situation over Crimea, where more than one Air Traffic Service provider may be controlling flight within the same airspace, careful attention should be given" and flyovers avoided, the European Aviation Security Agency said in a statement.

After the crash Thursday of Malaysia Airlines flight MH-17 Ukraine declared the east of its territory a no-fly zone, according to Eurocontrol, the body that manages airspace control over Europe.