Bodies of Ukrainian victims of downed plane repatriated from Iran

Around a thousand people including President Volodymyr Zelensky bid farewell to Ukrainians who died in a plane mistakenly shot down by Iran during a spike in tensions with Washington.

Zelensky laid flowers on the flag-draped coffins of the 11 Ukrainian victims — nine flight crew and two passengers — during the solemn ceremony at Kiev’s Boryspil airport and briefly spoke to their relatives.

The caskets were to remain for several hours at the terminal so that relatives, Ukraine International Airlines staff and ordinary Ukrainians could say their last goodbyes. The funerals are expected to be held on Monday. Earlier Sunday the black-clad Ukrainian leader, Prime Minister Oleksiy Goncharuk and top officials stood on the tarmac outside the terminal to see the caskets with the remains of the downed plane’s nine Ukrainian flight crew and two passengers being removed from the aircraft.