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.

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’