Ukraine says black boxes from downed flight in Iran show ‘illegal interference’

Al-Monitor – A top Ukrainian diplomat said today that the black boxes from the Ukrainian passenger flight shot down in Iran in January indicate “illegal interference.”

Ukraine is now waiting for talks with Iran regarding Ukraine International Airlines Flight 752, according to Ukraine’s deputy foreign minister.

“Black boxes from #PS752 were read out and deciphered successfully. The transcript confirmed the fact of illegal interference with the plane,” said Yevhenii Yenin in a tweet. “We are waiting for the Iranian side for the first round of talks next week.”

Flight 752 took off from Tehran on Jan. 8 for the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv. Shortly after its takeoff, Iranian forces shot a missile at the civilian jet, killing all 176 people on board. Iran was in the middle of striking US military targets in neighboring Iraq the same morning in retaliation for the US airstrike that killed Iranian commander Qasem Soleimani in Baghdad days earlier. Most of the dead were Iranian and Canadian citizens, including dual citizens of Iran and other countries.

Iran took a few days to admit the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps shot down the plane, eventually calling it a “disastrous mistake.” The incident prompted outrage among Iranians.

Ukraine has recently criticized Iran’s actions pertaining to the plane. Earlier this month, Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said the eastern European country rejected Iran’s conclusion that human error was responsible for the tragedy. Iran’s conclusion of human error was a preliminary one.

Iran has sought to cooperate with the ongoing investigation as of late and sent the black boxes that Yenin referenced to France this month for their information to be recovered.

French civil aviation authorities are examining the black boxes with international experts and representatives of the plane’s manufacturers. An Iranian investigator is also participating, Iran’s state-run Tasnim News Agency reported today.