KIEV, Ukraine — Ukrainian officials have begun sifting through the wreckage of Santa's sleigh, after it was apparently shot down shortly before midnight local time, sources told Duffel Blog.

The government claims the sleigh was shot down by a Buk surface-to-air missile after being mistaken for a civilian passenger jet, according to a defense ministry spokesman. The sleigh was attacked over Eastern Ukraine, in an area controlled by pro-Russian rebels.

Ukrainian officials accused Russia of orchestrating the shoot-down. Russia denied the claims, citing their own RT news broadcasts as evidence.