Iran's Azadi (Freedom) Tower is illuminated in honour of the victims of Ukraine International Airlines Flight 752, in Tehran on Jan 6, 2021. Ukraine International Airlines Flight 752 crashed shortly after taking off from the Iranian capital's main airport on Jan 8, 2020, killing all 176 people on board. (ATTA KENARE / AFP)

TEHRAN - Iran's Civil Aviation Organization (CAO) published on Wednesday its final report on the Ukrainian passenger plane crash in January 2020 near Tehran, identifying a "mistake" by the air defense operator as the cause of the incident.

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"The plane was identified as a hostile target by the operator of an air defense system stationed around Tehran, and two missiles were fired at it," the CAO said in the preface of its 285-page report published on its official website, confirming preliminary official findings.

This AFP graphic dated Jan 11, 2020 shows the map and details of the path of Ukrainian International Airlines flight PS-752 which crashed shortly after takeoff from Tehran on Jan 8, 2020.

However, the report was a "cynical attempt" to hide the true reasons for the downing of the plane, Ukraine's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba wrote on Facebook.

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The Ukrainian aircraft, a Boeing 737-800, was hit on Jan 8, 2020 by two missiles shot by Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps shortly after it took off from Tehran, killing all 176 people on board.