Vladimir Putin describes Turkey attack on jet as a ‘stab in the back’

Russian president Vladimir Putin has described as a “stab in the back” the downing of a Russian fighter plane by Turkey.

The incident, in which at least one of two pilots died, marks the first time in half a century that a Nato member has downed a Russian plane.

The long-feared incident highlighted the growing complexity of Syria’s civil war, as multiple groups with clashing alliances fight on the ground and the sky is crowded with aircraft bombing various targets.