You're reading: Ukraine offers to assist Il-76 investigation

The Ilyushin Il-76 seized in Thailand is not Ukrainian but Ukraine is ready to assist in the investigation, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Petro Poroshenko said at a press conference in Kyiv on Dec. 14.

"The investigation has begun and Ukrainian law enforcers are ready to help," he said.

According to Poroshenko, the plane landed at the Gostomel Airport in the Kyiv region for fueling but it had no cargo onboard. The plane left Ukraine on Dec. 8.

The Foreign Ministry said that the plane loaded the cargo in Pyongyang, North Korea. The cargo manifesto said it was carrying oil equipment, but an inspection conducted in Bangkok found that the real cargo was in fact weapons. It is yet unknown where the plane was headed.

Poroshenko emphasized that the seized plane had no relation to Ukraine. "This is not a Ukrainian plane, and the crew is not Ukrainian either," he said.