Hours after Iran admitted to shooting the wrong plane, Kiev revealed photos taken a day earlier of the plane showing small holes.

The Iranian military on January 11 admitted to the downing of Ukraine International Airlines Boeing 737-800, which killed 176 people on January 8. Earlier, Ukraine had realized the plane had been hit by a missile, but its leader had chosen a cautious diplomatic path.

After the plane crashed, US officials, Canadian and British officials said they believed the plane was likely shot down by Iran. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky asked them to share information but did not publish any conclusions. This is a strategic decision, Oleksiy Danilov, secretary of Ukraine's National Defense and Security Council, said.

In fact, "we came to the conclusion that the aircraft was hit by missiles against Americans and Canadians," he said.

Ukraine wants its investigators to collect evidence themselves. Officials avoid strong criticism of Iran during this time to ensure they cooperate in the investigation. Zelensky has the difficult task of "ensuring the cooperation of both the West and Iran without being drawn to any side in the US-Iran tensions", Katharine Quinn-Judge, an analyst at Kiev of the International Crisis Group, to speak.

Four days after the plane crashed, Zelensky announced that he and Iranian President Hassan Rouhani had "agreed to full technical and legal cooperation, including compensation issues."

"Once again, Zelensky was 'keeping his balance on the line' without falling," said Nina Jankowicz, a scholar at the Wilson Center. "Although he has little political experience, he knows exactly how to appease the opposition to protect Ukraine's interests."

Ukraine suffered a tragedy in 2014 when Malaysia Airlines MH17 aircraft departing from Amsterdam fell in the Donetsk region, eastern Ukraine, where pro-Russian separatists controlled it. The aircraft hit an anti-aircraft missile, smashing into hundreds of pieces.

A team of investigators from Australia, Belgium, Malaysia, the Netherlands and Ukraine determined that the missile originated from the Russian military brigade in Kursk, western part of the country and that it was transferred to Ukraine before the plane crash. They prosecute a number of Russian and Ukrainian citizens. Russia, meanwhile, denied any involvement in the case.

"When a plane departed from a European capital five years ago, Europe was still unable to finish its investigation and did not specify who was the culprit," Danilov said. "In the case of the Iran crash, we just need to take a little time to find out what happened."

A team of 45 Ukrainian experts and rescue workers, including several who worked in the MH17 case, arrived in Tehran in the morning of January 9 to investigate the cause and identify the body. Ukraine's Foreign Minister Vadym Prystaiko said on 10 January that the team was dissatisfied with the working conditions and wanted to get to the scene faster, more, and with more information.

On Iranian social media, images of the Russian-made Tor-M1 surface-to-air missile fragments were shown. Russia exported the system to several countries, including Iran in 2005. It is designed to strike targets in the short to medium range. Danilov wrote on Facebook on January 9 that he wanted investigators to check the scene for verification.

The challenge that investigators faced was that the field was quickly cleared and leveled. The aircraft parts were taken to a nearby hangar. Ukraine does not have access to the black box until January 10. Prystaiko then said investigators were checking the plane's debris and chemical residues on it. They were also at the hospital to analyze the victim's body.

"Modern technology, quick information exchange and sources of information are factors that help us answer very difficult questions," Danilov said. "We believe Iran understands that it cannot deny responsibility."

Avoiding a larger international rift is the challenge Zelensky overcomes. Originally a comedian, he was just in office a few months ago when he got into trouble causing Trump to be dismissed. He is negotiating with Russia, France and Germany on ending the conflict with pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine.

In a video sent to the Ukrainians on January 12, the day after Iran admitted to shooting the wrong plane, Zelensky expressed the winner's mind. "We have worked systematically, without provoking tension to achieve results and find the truth," he said.