[krschultz]

I don't think Pavlovian response is the right word. More like deja vu, considering the Russians did this once before (Korean Air 007).

[hga]

And Korean Air 902 in 1978 (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Korean_Air_Lines_Flight_902).

You might also count a 1955 shoot down by the People's Republic of Bulgaria (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/El_Al_Flight_402), and one shot down in 1940 during a period of nominal peace between Finland and the Soviet Union, but probably related to the latter's occupation of Estonia two days later (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kaleva_(airplane) ).

[vl]

Many countries did it before, including Ukraine:

"However, Ukrainian officials later admitted that it was indeed their military that shot down the airliner."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siberia_Airlines_Flight_1812