Interfax-Ukraine
15:31 11.01.2020

UIA President: 'We did not doubt for a second that our crew, our plane caused tragedy'

2 min read
UIA President: 'We did not doubt for a second that our crew, our plane caused tragedy'

Employees of Ukraine International Airways were certain their Boeing 737-800 that crashed near Tehran was the cause of the crash.

"We didn't doubt for a second that our crew and our plane were the cause of this terrible, terrible plane crash," UIA President Yevhen Dykhne said on Facebook.

He also thanked for the support of those who shared this position.

"Thanks to everyone who thinks and analyzes who shared this view. It is very important for us. These were our best guys and girls. The best," he said.

As reported, Iran has recognized that the UIA plane that crashed near Tehran was shot down accidentally by the Iranian military.

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani called the crash of the Ukrainian plane "a great tragedy" and "an unforgivable mistake."

"My thoughts and prayers are with all families in mourning. I express my sincere condolences," Rouhani tweeted on Saturday.

"An internal investigation by the Armed Forces concluded that, unfortunately, missiles fired due to human error led to a terrible disaster for the Ukrainian plane and the death of 176 innocent people," he said.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said that Ukraine expects the Iranian side to fully acknowledge its guilt and bring its investigation to an end.

As reported, a Boeing 737-800 operated by UIA and traveling from Tehran to Kyiv crashed shortly after takeoff from Imam Khomeini International Airport in Tehran early on Wednesday morning, killing all 167 passengers and nine crewmembers onboard.

The fatalities included 11 citizens of Ukraine (two passengers and nine crewmembers), 82 citizens of Iran, 63 of Canada, ten of Sweden, four of Afghanistan, and three citizens each of Germany and the United Kingdom.

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