dr dre - listen to what MickG0105 is saying. He seems to know his stuff!
Go back to the time of the event. Just three days earlier the rebels had downed a Ukrainian AN26 which was flying at over 20,000 feet! Of the known equipment in the region, only a BUK could do that, MANPADS haven't got a chance. No-one (apart from, would you believe, some Russian media) really picked up on this until it was too late.
The rebels were on a roll and wanted another kill. They thought they'd got one. Immediately after the destruction of the plane they claimed to have downed another AN26.
I quote from Antikvariat.ru (Google translated).
"Report from the militia. In the area of Snezhnoye an AN-26 was just shot down, it has fallen somewhere beyond the Progress coal mine."
Re personnel, this is pure speculation on my part, but I reckon there were Russians on board that launcher. I don't think rebels could be trained sufficiently to operate it and also drive it with impunity over the border.
As I say, that is my speculation. There has been no proof of this -- yet.