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’

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

Russian President Vladimir Putin apologised to Ilham Aliyev, the president of Azerbaijan, on Saturday for what the Kremlin said was a "tragic incident" in Russian airspace.