video and audio has emerged of Russian Rebels saying they had accidentally shot down Malaysian jet

 - Mr Putin was accused of avoiding phone calls from world leaders including Mr Cameron;
- America was last night considering imposing further sanctions as Mr Obama warned that he was prepared to “increase the costs” to Russia;
- Footage emerged of a Buk anti-aircraft missile launcher being driven into rebel-held Torez in eastern Ukraine just two hours before the crash.
- Video and audio emerged purporting to contain footage of Russian-backed, rebels saying they had mistakenly shot down the jet.
- Mr Putin categorically denied any link to the attack and suggested that Ukraine was partly responsible. “This tragedy would not have happened if there was peace in the country,” he said.
- Britain sent air accident investigators to Ukraine along with specialist police to retrieve and repatriate corpses. 

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Britain and America implicate Russia in Flight MH17 missile attack  

My concern in all this is how sanctions are not going to hurt Putin and his friends personally (likely). Who it is going to hurt is individuals in business in Russia from Russia and around the world. And indirectly it is going to make life financially much more difficult for the average person in Russia. So, I wonder if in the long run (or short run)  does it do it's job? And instead is it driving Russia back to being a totalitarian state without trade with the outside world with Putin as it's dictator? This would be a return to the 1980s before the Soviet Union collapsed.

However, military confrontation likely might eventually end all life on earth through a nuclear war. So, maybe it's the only tool that might work for now.