European leaders on Thursday expressed deepest condolences to the governments of the Netherlands, Malaysia and all other affected nations, and the families of the victims of the Malaysian flight crash.

A joint statement made by the President of the European Commission, Jose Manuel Barroso and the President of the European Council, Herman Van Rompuy, was published on the official website.

"We are shocked by the crash of the Malaysian airliner in Ukraine and the tragic loss of so many lives. Citizens from many nationalities including from the European Union have been killed," it said.

The leaders called for an immediate and thorough investigation into the causes of the crash, adding that "The facts and responsibilities need to be established as quickly as possible."

The European Union will continue to follow this issue very closely, the statement said.

A Malaysian flight crashed Thursday in Ukraine near the Russian border, with all the 280 passengers and 15 crew members on board reportedly having been killed.