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Ukraine Presses Iran Over Downed Plane's Black Boxes

Soldiers carry a coffin containing the remains of one of the 11 Ukrainian victims of the Ukraine International Airlines Flight PS752 plane disaster.
1/19 Soldiers carry a coffin containing the remains of one of the 11 Ukrainian victims of the Ukraine International Airlines Flight PS752 plane disaster.
The remains of the 11 Ukrainian victims of the Flight 752 plane crash in Iran arrived in Kyiv on January 19.
The memorial ceremony took place at the Boryspil International Airport, outside Kyiv, on January 19.
2/19 The memorial ceremony took place at the Boryspil International Airport, outside Kyiv, on January 19.
The remains of the 11 Ukrainian victims of the Flight 752 plane crash in Iran arrived in Kyiv on January 19.
Relatives of the victims were escorted to the ceremony.
3/19 Relatives of the victims were escorted to the ceremony.
The remains of the 11 Ukrainian victims of the Flight 752 plane crash in Iran arrived in Kyiv on January 19.
Colleagues of the crew members of Ukraine International Airlines arrive for the ceremony on the tarmac.
4/19 Colleagues of the crew members of Ukraine International Airlines arrive for the ceremony on the tarmac.
The remains of the 11 Ukrainian victims of the Flight 752 plane crash in Iran arrived in Kyiv on January 19.
More airline colleagues attend the ceremony.
5/19 More airline colleagues attend the ceremony.
The remains of the 11 Ukrainian victims of the Flight 752 plane crash in Iran arrived in Kyiv on January 19.
Soldiers carry a coffin with the remains of one of the victims.
6/19 Soldiers carry a coffin with the remains of one of the victims.
The remains of the 11 Ukrainian victims of the Flight 752 plane crash in Iran arrived in Kyiv on January 19.
A young boy holds flowers during the memorial service at Boryspil airport.
7/19 A young boy holds flowers during the memorial service at Boryspil airport.
The remains of the 11 Ukrainian victims of the Flight 752 plane crash in Iran arrived in Kyiv on January 19.
Airline employees kneel to pay respect to their colleagues who died in the plane crash.
8/19 Airline employees kneel to pay respect to their colleagues who died in the plane crash.
The remains of the 11 Ukrainian victims of the Flight 752 plane crash in Iran arrived in Kyiv on January 19.
More mourners at the ceremony.
9/19 More mourners at the ceremony.
The remains of the 11 Ukrainian victims of the Flight 752 plane crash in Iran arrived in Kyiv on January 19.
Relatives hold a picture of Flight PS572 pilot Volodymyr Haponenko. He is survived by his wife and two daughters.
10/19 Relatives hold a picture of Flight PS572 pilot Volodymyr Haponenko. He is survived by his wife and two daughters.
The remains of the 11 Ukrainian victims of the Flight 752 plane crash in Iran arrived in Kyiv on January 19.
Airline employees mourn their colleagues.
11/19 Airline employees mourn their colleagues.
The remains of the 11 Ukrainian victims of the Flight 752 plane crash in Iran arrived in Kyiv on January 19.
A portrait of Kateryna Statnik is seen at the service. Kateryna, 27, was a senior flight attendant and worked at Ukraine International Airlines for seven years.
12/19 A portrait of Kateryna Statnik is seen at the service. Kateryna, 27, was a senior flight attendant and worked at Ukraine International Airlines for seven years.
The remains of the 11 Ukrainian victims of the Flight 752 plane crash in Iran arrived in Kyiv on January 19.
Mourners attend the memorial service.
13/19 Mourners attend the memorial service.
The remains of the 11 Ukrainian victims of the Flight 752 plane crash in Iran arrived in Kyiv on January 19.
Employees of Ukraine International Airlines embrace.
14/19 Employees of Ukraine International Airlines embrace.
The remains of the 11 Ukrainian victims of the Flight 752 plane crash in Iran arrived in Kyiv on January 19.
A portrait of flight attendant Maria Mykytyuk is seen on her coffin. She was 24 years old.
15/19 A portrait of flight attendant Maria Mykytyuk is seen on her coffin. She was 24 years old.
The remains of the 11 Ukrainian victims of the Flight 752 plane crash in Iran arrived in Kyiv on January 19.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy pays his respects at the ceremony.
16/19 Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy pays his respects at the ceremony.
The remains of the 11 Ukrainian victims of the Flight 752 plane crash in Iran arrived in Kyiv on January 19.
Mourners embrace at the airport.
17/19 Mourners embrace at the airport.
The remains of the 11 Ukrainian victims of the Flight 752 plane crash in Iran arrived in Kyiv on January 19.
A woman mourns over the coffin of Olha Kobyuk, a passenger on the plane who traveled to Iran to visit her daughter and grandson. She was 61 years old.
18/19 A woman mourns over the coffin of Olha Kobyuk, a passenger on the plane who traveled to Iran to visit her daughter and grandson. She was 61 years old.
The remains of the 11 Ukrainian victims of the Flight 752 plane crash in Iran arrived in Kyiv on January 19.
A motorcade of hearses carrying the bodies moves down a road near the airport. 
19/19 A motorcade of hearses carrying the bodies moves down a road near the airport. 
The remains of the 11 Ukrainian victims of the Flight 752 plane crash in Iran arrived in Kyiv on January 19.
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Ukraine is urging Iran to return the black-box flight recorders of a Ukrainian passenger plane shot down by the Iranian forces earlier this month.

Foreign Minister Vadym Prystayko made the call on January 20 as the Iranian minister of roads and urban development was visiting Kyiv to discuss the tragedy.

Mohammad Eslami's "main task is to apologize and acknowledge what happened," Prystayko told reporters.

"We hope that we can go a little further than just political discussions and discuss practical problems. Among them in particular is the return of the black boxes," he added.

The Kyiv-bound Ukraine International Airlines Boeing 737 crashed shortly after taking off from Tehran on January 8, killing all 176 people on board. Most of the victims were Iranian and Canadian citizens.

Three days later, Tehran said the plane was shot down "unintentionally" by an antiaircraft missile during a spike in tensions with the United States.

Last week, Afghanistan, Britain, Canada, Ukraine, and Sweden -- countries whose nationals were killed in the crash -- issued a joint statement calling for a "thorough, independent, and transparent" investigation.

And on January 19, Canadian Foreign Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne reiterated Ottawa's request that Tehran hand over the black boxes to France or Ukraine "as quickly as possible."

However, the Iranian official leading the investigation into the crash appeared to backtrack on plans to send the flight recorders abroad for analysis.

Iranian media quoted Hassan Rezaeifar as saying the country might send the black boxes abroad, adding, "But as of yet, we have made no decision."

"At first they stated that they were handing them over, then the same person stated that they were not handing them over," Prystayko said. "This created some misunderstanding in Ukraine and we were starting to be asked: 'Are they being handed over or not?'"

During his meeting with Eslami, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said that "in the matter of clarifying the circumstances of the tragedy, the Iranian party had complied with most arrangements," according to Ukraine's presidency.

A statement said Iranian experts were expected to assess Ukraine's technical ability to decode the black boxes.

"I promised the families and relatives of the victims, I promised the people of Ukraine that the truth will be established. We must know what happened," it quoted Zelenskiy as telling the Iranian minister.

The coffins of the 11 Ukrainian citizens killed in the plane crash, including nine crew members, arrived in Kyiv on January 19.

With reporting by Reuters and AFP
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