The UK has called for an independent investigation into the downing of an Azerbaijani plane thought to have been caused by a Russian missile. President Vladimir Putin apologised “for the fact that the tragic incident occurred in Russian airspace” during a call with his Azerbaijani counterpart Ilham Aliyev on Saturday.

The White House indicated early evidence points to the crash, which killed 38, being caused by a Russian weapon.

Azerbaijan says the plane had multiple holes in its fuselage and that the occupants had sustained injuries ‘due to foreign particles penetrating the cabin mid-flight’