TEHRAN: Iran has begun paying compensation to families of those killed when it shot down a Ukrainian airliner two years ago, authorities said on Friday.

“The transport ministry has made transfers to a certain number of (victims’) families,” the foreign ministry said in a statement marking the anniversary of the tragedy.

Ukraine International Airlines flight PS752 was shot down shortly after take-off from Tehran on January 8, 2020, killing all 176 people aboard, most of them Iranians and Canadians, including many dual nationals.

Three days later, the Iranian armed forces admitted to downing the Kyiv-bound plane “by mistake.”

Arash Khodaei, a vice president of Iran’s Civil Aviation Organisation, said that “the sum of $150,000 has been transferred” to some families, while “the process has begun” for others.

The payment “does not infringe upon (their) right to take legal action,” state news agency IRNA quoted him as saying.

In 2020, Iran offered to pay “$150,000 or the equivalent in euros” to each of the victims’ families.

Ukrainian and Canadian officials strongly criticised the announcement, saying compensation should not be settled through unilateral declarations.