Ecumenical Patriarch expresses his condolences on downing of UIA plane

Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew expressed his condolences over today's crash of the UIA plane, the death of passengers and crew members.

The corresponding statement was posted on the Ecumenical Patriarch's Facebook page, UKRINFORM reports.

"We extend our sincere condolences and support of the Mother Church, praying to Almighty God for the repose of the souls of the victims from seven countries," the message reads.

This message of the Ecumenical Patriarchate was also sent to the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky.

On Wednesday, January 8, approximately at 6:00 Tehran time (about 4:30 Kyiv time), the Boeing-737 of the Ukrainian airline UIA, flight PS752, operating the route Tehran-Kyiv crashed shortly after the takeoff from Imam Khomeini Tehran airport. According to the National Security Council, 177 people were on board the plane: 168 passengers and 9 crew members, all of them died.