Ukraine today moved closer to conceding one of its missiles might have blown up a Russian airliner, but President Mr Leonid Kuchma stepped into a diplomatic minefield by saying bigger mistakes have been made.
Mr Kuchma said he would accept the findings from a Russian investigation into last Thursday's crash. The probe is still going on, but Russian experts said on Tuesday they had found what appeared to be missile parts among the wreckage of the Tupolev Tu-154.
The plane exploded over the Black Sea last week, killing all 78 on board, near where Ukraine was holding live missile exercises. Most of the passengers were Russian-born Israelis flying from Tel Aviv to Novosibirsk in Siberia.
Mr Kuchma sought to play down the magnitude of the error, should the investigation finds his military at fault.
"We are not the first and will not be the last," he told reporters. "We should not make a tragedy out of matters if it was a mistake. Bigger mistakes have been made."
His spokesman said later Mr Kuchma meant the accident should not blacken Ukraine's name abroad.
But Ukraine's handling of the incident has already led to strains with its giant neighbour Russia.
The military has consistently denied one of its missiles went astray during exercises, prompting increasing incredulity from Russian officials.
One investigator said yesterday the data provided by Kiev was unconvincing , echoing comments by Russian President Mr Vladimir Putin that he was unhappy with the information.