Putin is spreading abject propoganda.
Some of the theories they are putting forth (like it is actually MH370, or that a land attack aircraft like a Ukrainian SU-25 shot it down, or that Ukraine intentionally shot it down) are way out there in tin foil land.
The facts though are these:
The Russians have this surface to air missile system. The Ukranians have this same missile system from their days as a part of the Soviet Union.
It is a capable system that can certainly down high flying airliners.
Did the Russians put one of their systems in eastern Ukraine for the separatists/rebels to use? Very possible.
Did the separatists/rebels capture a Ukrainian system and use it? Also possible.
Remember, many eastern Ukrainian citizens are also verterans of the Urkainian military. They could find people who know how to operate the Ukrainian missiles.
So, we do not know which of the systems the separatists/rebels used...but it was certainly that type of SA-11 surface to air missile system that downed the aircraft.
Another very important fact...IMHO, the major responsibility for this horrible disaster has to fall on Malaysian Airlines.
They should never have flown such an aircraft over eastern Ukraine which everyone knows is embroiled in a civil war.
A civil war where the nation divided has the capability to down such aircraft (which means the separatists/rebels could have gotten it), and where the principle supporter of the separatists/rebels (Russia), also has the capability down such aircraft (which also means the separatists/rebels could have gotten it from them).
Crazy to the point of criminal nelgigence IMHO to fly that defenseless aircraft with all of those people on board over such an area.
This doe not absolve the separatists/rebels of all responsibility. But it does place the real owness where it belongs.
I do not believe thr separatists/rebels meant to shoot down a civilian airliner. I think they thought it was a cargo aircraft or, more likely, a surveillance aircraft, from Ukraine. So they shot it down. They are at war.
Probably did not have the proper capabilities to identify or communicate with and discriminate a civilan airliner transponder from a military IFF.
Anyhow, Putin has got thr Russian people behind him, and they are very good at using emotion and nationalistic fervor to gen up support of even some of these crasy theories.
For our part, we have a President who is dedicated to weakening America at every level.
He is not crazy. He is not imcompetant. He is doing exaclty as he has planned all along and using every opportunity to advance that cause.
When you understand this about the man...the rest all falls into place.
It is true that he is not engaged in what you or I would typically expect a US President and Commander in Chief to do.
But he never planned to do that. What he is engaged in is making the United States of America weaker across the board.
Economically
Internationally
Morally
Militarily
Energy wise
Soverignty wise (ie the border)
Traditionally
Educationally
Health wise
In every pssible way imaginable.
And..sadly, tragically...he is being VERY effective at it.
Yes, almost certainly. Stuff happens. See post Number 11. It took us 8 years to come almost clean on a remarkably similar incident.
P.S. Occam’s Razor almost certainly applies.
It was flying at 33,000 feet, making it unreachable to anything but the most advanced systems, which not just anybody can use. Furthermore, it was not the only airline using that airspace. If it was going to get shot down, it would have to be as a result of the actions of a state, like Russia.
Did the Russians put one of their systems in eastern Ukraine for the separatists/rebels to use? Very possible.
NATO already spotted these systems on both sides of the border, along with training going on, which they characterized as Russian officers training "separatists."
Furthermore, they were photographed entering into Ukraine.
Did the separatists/rebels capture a Ukrainian system and use it? Also possible.
That's what they claimed originally, before they went back and deleted their claims, that they had, in fact, captured such a system from the Ukrainians. The Ukrainians however say they are't missing any, and, number two, it is common practice for the Russkies to claim they captured something before sending it in. The only media source that originated the story that carried news of the "capture" was a single Russian news source, with no other sources independently reporting on it.