Iran’s admission of downing a passenger plane has put Russian propagandists in a tight spot

It is five and a half years ago that flight MH17 crashed over the Donbass. Evidence pointed to the Russian military. But any parallels with last week’s air crash ended when Iran admitted its guilt

Iran needed three days to come clean over its part in a passenger jet tragedy. The Kremlin is yet to admit its role (IRNA/AFP/Getty)

A revenge missile strike. A mysterious plane crash. Three days deflecting blame. Excuses on black boxes. Bombshell evidence from western intelligence. Finally, an admission of guilt. This was an extraordinary week – and even more so when looking on from the perspective of Moscow.

The downing of a passenger jet with a surface-to-air missile amid military tensions had obvious parallels in these parts. It is five and a half years since Malaysian Airlines Flight 17 crashed over the Donbass, with nearly 300 lives lost. A credible body of evidence links the Russian military to the disaster.

But the similarities with MH17 ended abruptly on Friday, with the Iranian admission of its “human error” in bringing the plane down.