I don’t know Abbott, or the evidence his opinion is based on. I do know that almost immediately there was a narrative with little supporting evidence demonizing Russia. A youtube and twitter are not evidence. Again, why would Russia supply the Rebels with sophisticated SAMs but not supply secure communications. I don’t know what happened but Youtube and twitter is not evidence. Remember the Benghazi Youtube video, and the faked conversation during the Syrian chemical weapons attack? I mean there is a precedence of deception from DC. I also know that Western Intelligence services overthrew the legitimately elected Ukrainian Govt when they (the Ukrainian Govt) voted to not sign on to the EU; and installed their own friendly Govt that immediately reversed course favorable to the EU’s central bankers.
It's based on evidence that a whole lot of people have witnessed and some of it hard evidence.
The rebels did indeed have a BUK-M1, it was taken in Donetsk when the rebels over-ran an AA regiment in late July. There are many questions about it actually being serviceable or not, and Kiev denied that it even existed, for several weeks.
Which makes this all the more problematic. Kiev has both claimed the Buk’s don’t exist, and now that they do.
As far as the Rebels comms, they mainly consist of old CB Radios, and cell phones that use Zello, a walkie-talkie ap.
Kiev also has BUK’s in the Southeast, the more updated version, that they are using to provide air cover for their ATO HQ. There are several videos of these on youtube.