Ukraine rejects Iran's final report on the crash of Boeing 737 Ukraine International Airlines (PS752)
Ukraine has rejected the final report of the Civil Aviation Organization of Iran on the downing of a Ukrainian plane, noting that it is a "cynical attempt" to hide the truth, informs bbc.com.
Ukraine International Airlines flight PS752 was hit by two missiles after taking off from Tehran on January 8, 2020. All 176 people on board died. There were 9 crew members and 167 passengers, including 55 Canadians.
The report Iran's Civil Aviation Organization points to an air defense unit
The report Iran's Civil Aviation Organization points to a tragedy defense unit. An operator is said to have "misidentified" the plane as hostile and fired missiles without a commander's permission.
In a video posted on Facebook following the publication of the report, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba called the Iranian investigation "biased", the evidence presented is "selective" and the conclusions are "misleading".
"The document does not present all the circumstances, does not reveal the root causes of the tragedy or the chain of actions that led to it. It is not a complete report, but a collection of manipulations. The goal is not to establish the truth, but to whiten Iran's image".
Ukraine and four other countries whose citizens or residents have been killed - Canada, Britain, Afghanistan and Sweden - have called on Iran to provide a full and in-depth explanation of what happened.
In the first three days after Boeing 737 Ukraine International Airlines (PS752) crashes, the Iranian armed forces denied any responsibility and Iran's Civil Aviation Organization suggested that there was a technical failure. Authorities also allowed the scene of the accident to be robbed and then bulldozers entered.
But as evidence gathered, the Revolutionary Guard Air Force said an air defense unit mistaken the Boeing 737-800 for an American missile.
The final report of Iran's Civil Aviation Organization says that, following a tactical relocation, the air defense unit in question "failed to adjust the direction of the system due to human error, causing the operator to observe the target flying west from [Imam Khomeini Airport in Tehran] as a target approaching from southwestern Tehran at a relatively low altitude ”.
According to the report, the fire of the first surface-to-air missile exploded near the plane
According to the report, the fire of the first surface-to-air missile exploded near the plane and "caused major damage to aircraft systems”. The three cockpit crew members "they did not appear to have suffered any physical injuries in the blast and were only involved in managing the situation", It is added in the report.
The report says the second missile is likely "not to have affected the aircraft" and that it "maintained its structural integrity until it crashed and exploded" in the Shahedshahr area southwest of Tehran.
The report Iran's Civil Aviation Organization concludes that "neither the technical or operational condition of the aircraft nor its flight path or altitude contributed to the misidentification”By the air defense unit.
In a joint statement on Wednesday, Canadian Foreign Minister Marc Garneau and Transport Minister Omar Alghabra said they remained "deeply concerned about the lack of convincing information and evidence".
"Their families deserve answers to important questions, including about the series of events that led to the launch of these missiles and why Iran's airspace remained open during a hostile period.They said.