Ukraine expects explanations from Iran for MP's remark that military did 'well' in downing civilian airliner in January – deputy PM

Ukraine expects immediate explanations from Iran concerning a statement by an Iranian parliamentarian saying that the Iranian "military forces carried out their duties well" in downing a Ukrainian passenger airliner in January, Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration Vadym Prystaiko said.

"We expect an immediate explanation from #Iran on this deplorable statement. It shows full disrespect for human lives. Dozens of families from Iran, Ukraine, Canada, Sweden, UK & Afghanistan lost their loved ones in the attack against defenseless civilian aircraft," Prystaiko said on Twitter on Tuesday.

As reported earlier, Hassan Norouzi, spokesman for the Iranian parliamentary legal and judicial committee, said in an interview with a state-run daily that the Iranian "military forces carried out their duties well" in downing a Ukraine International Airlines aircraft in January, the Al Arabiya TV channel said on its English-language webpage.

A Boeing 737-800 of Ukraine International Airlines crashed in the vicinity of Tehran's Imam Khomeini International Airport soon after takeoff on January 8. None of the 167 passengers and nine crewmembers survived the crash.

Iranian authorities acknowledged on January 11 that the Boeing was downed by the Iranian military by mistake. Commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps' Aerospace Forces Amir Ali Hajizadeh later assumed full responsibility for the crash of the Ukrainian plane.