Zelensky calls on public not to speculate about plane crash in Iran, says Ukraine ready to repatriate victims’ bodies

President Volodymyr Zelensky has called on the public to abstain from speculating about what may have caused a Ukrainian airliner to crash in Iran. He also said Kiev was ready to retrieve victims’ bodies.

A Ukrainian International Airlines plane carrying 167 passengers and nine crew crashed shortly after taking off from Imam Khomeini International Airport in Tehran, killing everyone on board. Preliminary reports say the aircraft’s engine caught fire. However, according to Iranian media, the pilot did not issue a distress call, fueling speculation about the cause of the accident.

Urging against speculation about the crash, Zelensky said that his government had special planes for transporting the victims back to Ukraine, but was waiting for the go-ahead from Tehran.Zelensky issued a statement expressing his condolences and cut short his trip to Oman after learning about the crash.

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