Pro-Russian Soldiers Down Malaysian Flight MH17 Over Ukraine

The course normally taken by this aircraft was 200 miles south of where it was told to go to avoid bad weather. In the Ukrainian airspace at the time when the aircraft was shot down by surface to air missiles, 21 other aircraft were present. President Putin has said that any comments about Russian complicity in this is "stupid". Yet, most fingers seem to point to the pro-Russian separatists in the Ukraine because Putin does approve of the weapons they provide to them. The aircraft would not have been shot down by Ukrainian surface to air missiles because their own air controllers were well aware of the commercial flight entering Ukrainian airspace and directed and approved of the alternate route.

The pro-Russian separatists are supported by Putin in his bid to control how Ukraine develops as it chooses the West over Russia. Putin's statement may be true. Russia would have nothing to gain by ordering its proxy group to shoot down a commercial airliner. The pro-Russian separatists also have little to gain as well. If the act was intentional, one of these parties is guilty and it will be a huge political win for the Ukraine. However, if it was mistaken identity, that would seem the most plausible explanation.

The pro-Russians have captured at least one surface to air missile system from the Ukrainians. The Ukrainians also have the same missile system. Experts agree that firing this system requires training and know how- one does not simply load and fire. So, if the pro-Russian troops used one, it is likely that the operator mistakenly thought the airliner was a military plane from the Ukraine, after all, they had shot down one Ukrainian transport already. This proves they had the capability.

But, this target was 35,000 ft. in altitude, visible only to radar tracking. It can easily be seen how an inexperienced operator mistook the Malaysian MH 17 airliner as an Ukrainian aircraft. It should be noted that although Putin does support the pro-Russian patriots wanting to keep the Ukraine in Russia's control, their leaders have a mind of their own. Putin only controls them loosely. The persons in control of the surface to air missile unit could have acted independently without any approval or communication to their superiors or Russia. While the Ukraine has provided radio intercepts between a Russian agent and those who fired the missile, they have yet to be verified. Even if it was, it does not mean the agent directed them to fire. It is possible the order to fire was based on incorrect information supplied by the inexperienced men at the controls of the surface to air missile unit.

While I deplore Putin, he would have nothing to gain from this act. Despite him trying to blame the Ukraine, common sense is just too strong that the Ukrainians did not fire the missile. This leaves the pro-Russians fighting against the Ukrainians with Putin's approval. They are independent of Moscow but linked to them. Putin knows what happened by now. He will probably distance himself from the pro-separatists, maybe hinting it WAS a case of mistaken identity made by his proxies.

But for now, Russian TV is telling their audience that it was a Ukrainian jet who tried to fire at Putin's aircraft, missed, and hit the nearby Malaysian MH 17. The sad thing is that many Russians believe this even thought it is utter nonsense.

Now, 300 bodies lie scattered in the Ukrainian landscape.