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One of the engines of the Ukraine International Airlines Boeing 737-800 (flight PS752), seen in the rubble of the Tehran crash, January 8, 2020. Iran Press / Handout via REUTERS

An Iranian delegation is in Kiev, Ukraine, following the tragedy of the Boeing 737-800 of flight PS752 shot down near Tehran, on January 8, 2020. Led by the Minister of Infrastructure and Urban Planning, diplomats and experts came to bring an official letter of apology from Iranian leader Hassan Rohani to the Ukrainian president for the destruction of the Boeing with an accidental missile fire. They also came to discuss the outcome of the investigation and the treatment of the black boxes.

With our correspondent in Kiev, Sébastien Gobert

“ We cannot make the victims alive for their families. But we can bring them justice ”: Volodymyr Zelenskiy has certainly accepted the official apologies of the Iranian delegation, and thanked Tehran for a rapid work of identification and repatriation of the eleven bodies of Ukrainian victims in Kiev among the 176 dead of this disaster . But many questions remain unanswered.

Compensation for families

Ukrainians and Iranians also discussed the issue of compensation for the families of the victims. However, Volodymyr Zelenskiy demands more. It needs a quick and comprehensive investigation , full cooperation with Ukrainian investigators, and access to the Boeing's black boxes, he said. It is a point of litigation.

Black boxes too damaged?

The Iranians argue that they are too damaged to be studied outside of Iran. The Ukrainians assure that they are adequately equipped, with, if necessary, the assistance of international experts, including French. Seen from Kiev, it seems unthinkable to compromise, given the scale of the drama and the president's promises of transparency. The Ukrainians are therefore waiting for the Iranian response.

► Ukrainian Airlines Boeing crash: black boxes are still in Tehran