You're reading: Bodies of 11 Ukrainian victims killed in Iran plane crash return home

Kyiv’s main airport in Boryspil has seen plenty of happy reunions and sad partings. But on Jan. 19 it turned into a place of nationwide grief.

A plane carrying the bodies of the 11 Ukrainian victims of flight PS752, which was shot down by two missiles in Iran 11 days earlier, landed at the airport on the morning of Jan. 19. 

President Volodymyr Zelensky and other top state officials stood on the tarmac as the coffins covered with blue-and-yellow Ukrainian flags were carried out by soldiers and taken to the airport terminal. 

The first to say goodbye to the victims were relatives and colleagues from Ukraine International Airlines. The memorial service is open to the public until 7 p.m.

Boeing 737-800 operated by UIA was bound for Kyiv when it crashed on Jan. 8, shortly after take-off from Tehran airport, killing all 176 people on board.

Iran admitted to mistakenly shooting down the plane and an investigation continues. 

Nine Ukrainian victims were crew members, and two were passengers. Besides them, the victims were Iranians, Canadians, Afghans, Germans, and Britons. 

Read more: Who were the 11 Ukrainians killed in Iran plane crash?

Watch the ceremony here

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Meanwhile, Iranian aviation authorities have reportedly changed their mind and will not send the black boxes from the crashed plane to Kyiv.