Iran admits it shot down Ukrainian airliner by mistake
Iran has admitted that it shot down a Ukrainian airliner carrying 176 people by mistake. The reason was the “human factor”.
The relevant message spread English-language television channel TVPress, based in Tehran and funded by the local government.
“The Ukrainian plane that crashed near Tehran earlier this week flew next to a sensitive military facility and was shot down due to human error,” TV reported, citing data from the General Staff.
According to the official version, the plane was mistaken for a hostile target at a time when Iran was expecting a retaliatory US attack after striking US bases in Iraq.
The same information was confirmed on Twitter by Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif.
"Sad day. According to the preliminary findings of the military's internal investigation, human error during the crisis provoked by US adventurism led to the disaster,” he wrote.
In the history of Ukraine, there was also a similar incident in October 2001: then a surface-to-air missile, which was launched during exercises of the Ukrainian air defense forces in Crimea, shot down a TU-154 aircraft over the Black Sea, performing a flight Tel Aviv - Novosibirsk. . All 78 passengers and crew members on board the plane were killed. The airline's lawyers are still suing Kiev, demanding compensation.
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