Egypt announced Monday that its investigators found no evidence of terrorism in the October Russian passenger jet crash in Sinai, contrary to what the Kremlin and many other world governments have determined.

CNN reports the Egyptian Civil Aviation Ministry released a statement in which lead investigator Ayman Al-Muqaddam said his team has discovered nothing indicating "illegitimate interference or an act of terrorism."

Since the tragic crash of Metrojet Flight 9268 that killed 224 people, Egypt has dismissed any accusations that terrorism played a role. Even after Britain, the U.S., and eventually Russia concluded the plane was likely brought down by a bomb, Egypt has remained steadfast in its denial of any terrorist activity.

Russia declined to comment on Egypt's statement.

"I can recall the conclusion of our experts from the relevant agencies who arrived to the conclusion that it was a terrorist attack," said government spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, according to Russian state news agency Tass.

The Islamic State terror group has also taken credit for the plane crash, publishing a photograph in its online magazine of the alleged explosive used in the attack.

The photo shows a soda can along with what appears to be a detonator and a switch.

"After having discovered a way to compromise the security at the Sharm el-Sheikh International Airport and resolving to bring down a plane belonging to a nation in the American-led Western coalition against ISIS, the target was changed to a Russian plane," the magazine read.

Last month, the New York Times reported that Egypt was conducting its investigation in secret, in a possible attempt to cover up evidence of a terror attack.

"I don't anticipate the Egyptian investigation here to be any more transparent than their work on EgyptAir 990," said James E. Hall, former head of the National Transportation Safety Board. The disaster he refers to involved an alleged suicidal pilot bringing an Egyptian passenger plane down, but Egypt's government blamed the crash on a technical malfunction.

"The air safety investigators in Egypt are under the thumb of the government," Hall said, "and I don't think that has changed."