Yes they did. However the sticking point with both were these craft flying unwittingly into Soviet airspace. One that didnt respond to Soviet calls, and thankfully was able to land after being hit. The other was not the act of some stupid fighter pilot, but orders from the ground after clearly being informed by that pilot that this was not a military craft.
Both of those took place over 30 years ago. Hardly a habit of animals that get their kicks from shooting down planes for sport.
This incident was neither of those, and was one of many planes that are in and around the area. So beyond easy claims that Russians love to shoot down planes, what would be the reason to pluck a random airliner out of the sky?
To this day, there are unanswered questions about the death of the anti-communist and opponent of Putin President Lech Kaczynski, as well as his generals and senior members, who died in a plane "crash" over Russia, not violating any airspace. The Russkies refused to hand over the black box for a long time, and there was video on the ground by a resident which picked up screaming, laughing, and shooting, at the place of the crash, before he himself fled.
Furthermore, and this isn't speculation or conspiracy, Putin routinely has his own opponents killed. News editors, journalists, political opponents, are beaten or even murdered for opposing the state, or else given trumped up charges and imprisoned for years.
Yes, they are animals.
So beyond easy claims that Russians love to shoot down planes, what would be the reason to pluck a random airliner out of the sky?
The easiest answer is: it was a mistake.
The second answer is, but it is only speculation, it was not a mistake, but was done as a provocation to blame the Ukrainians. The problem was that the Russkies up above forgot to relay the plan to the people beneath, and hence Strelkov and his merry men were bragging about it on their social media sites and taking videos of it.
In either case, it is beyond any doubt where it was this missile came from.