Lonewolf, I guess it depends on how you define "directly involved".
I personally think the Russian decided to cause havoc in the Ukraine by providing the separatists with highly capable anti-aircraft missiles and turning them loose to shoot down Ukrainian aircraft. Like you, I think it highly unlikely the Russians deliberately targeted a civilian aircraft. However, turning the separatists loose with high capability weapons, with little training and guidance, and a mindset to shoot at anything that moved - the outcome was perfectly predictable. That the Russians failed to foresee the likely outcome makes them, in my mind, ultimately responsible (and given their denials, I suspect they agree).
I see it very much like the parent that gives an 8 year old a .22 rifle and sends them out to plunk rabbits with no instruction, supervision, or safety training. While the parent didn't intend for the kid to shoot the neighbor by mistake, the fact that he did was perfectly predictable. The kid pulled the trigger, but the parent bears full responsibility.