This is a tragic and uncomprehensible event. So many lives destroyed or torn apart for no reason whatsoever.
Russia closed, among many others bordering Ukraine, a segment of the A87 airway (this particular segment was on flight 17's route, just minutes away before the shootdown) by NOTAM as of 0000Z on July 17th, i.e. more than 12 hours before the crash.
I find it intriguing that,
i) neither the MAS flight planners nor the crew spotted that, and
ii) the Russian flow management system didn't reject the FPL, as it normally does whenever a conflict exists with routing and airspace/airway closures.
NOTAM:
(V6158/14 NOTAMN
Q) URRV/QARLC/IV/NBO/E/000/530/4818N04008E088
A) URRV
B) 1407170000 C) 1408312359EST
E) DUE TO COMBAT ACTIONS ON THE TERRITORY OF THE UKRAINE NEAR THE
STATE BORDER WITH THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION AND THE FACTS OF FIRING
FROM THE TERRITORY OF THE UKRAINE TOWARDS THE TERRITORY OF RUSSIAN
FEDERATION, TO ENSURE INTL FLT SAFETY,
ATS RTE SEGMENTS CLSD AS FLW:
/--/
A87 TAMAK - SARNA,
/--/
SFC TO FL530.)