Ukrainian pilot's wife: We won't rest until Iran tells the truth

The black box data from the Ukrainian plane shot down by IRGC missiles, which the Civil Aviation Organization published a report on a few days ago, shows that in the interval between the two missile hits, the pilots were in perfect health and had attempted to control the plane in accordance with the necessary instructions.

The wife of Volodymyr Gaponenko, the first pilot of Flight 752, says she doesn't understand why the Iranian military chased the 176 people on board the plane like an action game until they were sure they were all dead.

We asked Katerina Gaponenko if she thought the reports Iran has provided so far about the investigation into the downing of the plane bring us closer to the truth.

Katerina Gaponenko: I don't want to hear about human error. I believe that this plane was shot down intentionally, that they deliberately killed all the people on board. When an armed soldier appears among civilians and shoots so many times that every single one of them is killed, can we say that it was human error?

A human being committed this murder, but why? Was he crazy? Did he have a motive? Was he under pressure from someone? The judge can issue a verdict when he hears the answers to all the questions. But without answering these questions, Iran says that it has determined that human error occurred, the missile system was not installed correctly, and internal air defense communications were not established.

I can't believe all these problems came together at the same time. And if they did, I want to be convinced by the arguments. That's why all the relatives of the victims of this flight say we want a transparent investigation.

How did you feel when you heard the report of the information obtained from the black box of the downed plane?

I told my two daughters from day one that their father was a hero. His name will go down in history. Now everyone knows this. They know that in those circumstances when the plane was out of control, all the pilots' efforts were focused on saving the plane and its passengers.

They just didn't know that a group of soldiers had targeted them like a crazy action game and wouldn't let them escape. They didn't know that they were involved in a war and that they would be pursued until they were destroyed.

The pilots of this flight were not military and had no duty to fly in wartime conditions. I want to hear from the Iranian government and the Ukrainian government why my wife was flying in the skies of a country that was engaged in war. I asked the President of Ukraine to award my wife the Medal of Honor. The crew of this flight were all heroes, they should receive the Medal of Honor.

The Flight 752 Victims Association says that most relatives believe that compensation is secondary. Truth first, compensation second. What do you think?

If Iran proves that the downing of the plane was not intentional, it will have to pay less compensation. And if it is proven that it was intentional, the compensation amount will be higher. So we cannot talk about compensation until we understand what happened.

But that's not all. We will not rest until we know the truth. Our hope is that the truth will be a balm for our pain. I hope the Iranian government understands this. They will tell us the truth and then pay us the appropriate compensation; equal compensation for everyone, because we have all been affected by this tragedy.

Diplomats warn that negotiations could drag on for years. Can your family wait that long?

I received my wife's salary from the airline for the first six months. Now my children only receive social assistance, and our standard of living has dropped significantly. We moved from a villa in a pleasant area to Kiev. My daughters cannot continue their education in a private school.

I have always been a housewife, but now, even though our little daughter is starting school this year, I have to look for work.

My greatest sorrow is that two missiles destroyed our hopes. My wife always wished me and especially our two daughters the best. I feel bad that I can't provide the best conditions for my daughters without her; as if I am not being true to my wife's hopes. Our life has become very, very difficult.

Source: Radio Farda