I dislike Putin as much as the next Freeper. Still, he may also may be the most shrewd politician on the planet right now, as in evidence of continuing to make our POTUS look like the idiot he is. Putin would know an act like shooting down a civilian jumbo jet would be a be huge negative in PR on the world stage. I don't think the Russian government is behind it.
I am more leaning toward this being from an Islamic extremist. this has been their mo before.
Uh, that is less evidence of shrewdness on the part of Putin and more evidence of idiocy on the part of Obama.
Russian Air Defense units would have an IFF system integrated into their air defense operations. Irreqular separatists who recently gained control of UKR SAM assets probably wouldn’t.