Ukraine FM denies report of evacuation plane being hijacked from Afghanistan

Ukraine FM denies a report of evacuation plane hijacking!

A spokesperson for Ukraine’s foreign ministry has denied an earlier report from the deputy foreign minister claiming that armed hijackers took control of a Ukrainian evacuation plane and flew it to Iran after it arrived in Afghanistan, according to Ukrainian news agency RBC.

On the other hand, Iran has also denied reports of Ukrainian plane hijacking saying it had landed in Mashhad for refueling.

A military transport plane with 83 people on board, including 31 Ukrainians, arrived from Afghanistan to Kiev on Sunday.

Ukraine’s presidency reported that 12 Ukrainian military personnel have returned home, including reporters and others who requested evacuation were returned.

Around 100 Ukrainians are still waiting to be evacuated, the presidency added.

Russia’s TASS news agency quoted Ukraine’s deputy Foreign Minister Yevgeny Yenin as saying on Tuesday that a Ukrainian plane that arrived in Afghanistan to evacuate Ukrainians was hijacked by unidentified people who flew it into Iran.

“Last Sunday, our plane was hijacked by other people. On Tuesday, the plane was practically stolen from us, it flew into Iran with an unidentified group of passengers onboard instead of airlifting Ukrainians. Our next three evacuation attempts were also not successful because our people could not get into the airport,” he said, reported TASS.

The minister said that hijackers were armed but further he did not say anything about the plane or Ukraine is in the process to get it back or how the Ukrainian citizens got back from Kabul, onboard this “practically stolen” plane or another one sent by Kiev, TASS reported.