Russia suffered a surprise attack in the early hours of Tuesday morning when as many as 30 drones zeroed in on Moscow, bringing Vladimir Putin’s Ukraine war to his own doorstep after 15 months of bloody conflict. The country’s defence ministry has only admitted to sighting eight drones, all of which it says were shot down, causing only minimal damage and injuring just two people. Even if that is true, the incident follows an assault on the Kremlin earlier this month and creates a problem for Mr Putin, who has so far largely been able to shield Russian citizens from the realities of the war. Life has been allowed to proceed as normal in the capital but the sight of debris hitting some of the city’s most prestigious areas – including the grand Soviet-era Leninsky Prospekt Avenue and the Odintsovsky District, in which the wealthy elite, including Mr Putin, have residences – cannot have gone unnoticed. Residents in southwestern Moscow reported hearing loud bangs at between 2am and 3am BST on Tuesday morning, followed by the smell of petrol, while some filmed the unmanned devices being downed in smoke over the city skyline. “It is, of course, obvious that this is an attack by the Kyiv regime,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters. “And this must be absolutely clearly understood.” Kyiv has itself been under siege from drone strikes by the aggressor in recent days, but Ukrainian presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak denied his side was behind the attack, adding drolly: “Of course, we are pleased to watch and predict an increase in the number of attacks.” Mr Putin is said to have been briefed early on Tuesday about the strikes and continued working in the Kremlin, later saying only that the episode was intended to “intimidate” and “clearly a sign of terrorist activity”. He will surely respond militarily, even if his initial instinct is to downplay the extent of the damage. Writing on Telegram, Russian political analyst Tatiana Stanovaya, a senior fellow at the Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center, said the president’s eerie calm was about projecting the impression that he “isn’t afraid” because his control is “built on the idea that has been voiced more than once … [that Russians are] a patient people who will understand everything and endure everything”. Mr Putin has so far left much of the sabre-rattling following the attack to others, such as lawmaker Alexander Khinshtein, who warned his countrymen: “The sabotage and terrorist attacks of Ukraine will only increase. It is necessary to radically strengthen defence and security measures, especially in terms of countering drones.” Another politician, Andrei Kartapolov, told local media the attack was a Ukrainian endeavour “designed to create a wave of panic”. Speaking to The Independent, Tim White, a Ukraine expert and journalist, commented: “Putin’s only response is violence, we’ve seen it time and time again. “The problem is how much of his arsenal is left? I strongly suspect there was another large shipment of drones from Iran recently, hence the big uptick in drone strikes. “But I believe this tactic is primarily to locate Ukraine’s air defence systems, especially its Patriot [missile] systems, and get Ukraine to exhaust its own air defence missile stocks. The Kremlin is not able to manufacture missiles as quickly as it is using them.” Among the residents of Moscow, the episode is likely only to entrench existing attitudes towards the war, Mr White said, noting the stranglehold exerted by state media. “I think opinion in Russia will be even more anti-Western rather than anti-Putin,” he said. “The absolute control of the media ensures most people believe the indoctrination, wrongfully describing Ukraine as a nation of Nazis.” That observation has already been borne out, with one woman, Natalia, 59, telling news agency Reuters: “The Kyiv regime is already crossing all the lines. This is very sad, especially since they are directing these drones at residential buildings, at the city, at civilians, where there are no military facilities.” More surprisingly, another resident told the same outlet: “All of this is because of our ruler. It’s no surprise it’s bounced back to here.” As for what might happen next, Mr White is in little doubt that there will be a retaliation, perhaps targeting a region the Kremlin had expected to welcome its “special military operation” with open arms. “My best guess is that there will be a strike on a city, masquerading as a military hit, with what we describe as ‘plausible deniability’,” he said. “But it won’t be Kyiv, which is too well protected judging by the last month’s bombardment. Lviv is a target, but more at risk is likely to be Odesa or Mykolaiv in the south. These are areas that previously spoke almost exclusively Russian and Putin believed would welcome his illegal invasion.” The Russian foreign ministry has already made threats to that effect, declaring: “Russia reserves the right to take the harshest possible measures in response to the terrorist attacks by the Kyiv regime.” Read More Russia-Ukraine war – live: Putin responds after Moscow hit with drone attack Wealthy Moscow suburb where Putin has a home targeted in drone attack Moscow targeted by ‘30 drones’ as Ukraine war reaches Russia’s capital Russian soldiers flee after tank struck by Ukrainian drone The Body in the Woods | An Independent TV Original Documentary The harrowing discovery at centre of The Independent’s new documentary

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Akshata Murty, wife of prime minister Rishi Sunak, has been given the top spot as one of the best dressed people in Britain for 2023. The businesswoman and designer, 43, claimed the number one position on Tatler magazine’s best dressed list, alongside Princess Beatrice’s husband Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi and Love Actually star Bill Nighy. Murty, who is the daughter of Indian billionaire and founder of Infosys NR Narayana Murthy, made headlines this year when she stepped out in £570 slippers from JW Anderson for the school run. She also became known for her “quiet luxury” style, also known as “stealth wealth”, having been seen in Gucci trainers that cost £445 and a leather skirt worth more than £1,000. However, after both she and Sunak faced some criticism for donning designer labels (the prime minister was mocked for wearing a £3,500 suit and £490 Prada shoes to campaign in Teesside last July) Murty has since swapped her lavish wardrobe for more accessible brands, many of them British. In May, during the couple’s visit to the G7 summit in Japan, she stepped out in clothes from Joseph, Strethberry, Me+Em, and Chinti & Parker, most of them retailing under £1,000. Chandler Tregaskes, style editor for Tatler, said: “The coveted number one spot in Tatler’s best dressed list belongs to the chatelaine of Downing Street, Akshata Murty. “Her stream of ‘It’ ensembles would have given Jackie Kennedy a run for her money. Though she lacks the pillbox hats and layered pearls of yore, Mrs Sunak is a shining example of modern-day diplomatically decadent dressing that steals the show.” Murty attended the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising in Los Angeles and later launched her own fashion label, Akshata Designs. Since her husband became prime minister last year, she has greeted prominent individuals in an array of elegant outfits, including a purple flower patterned dress to attend news publishers Rupert and Lachlan Murdoch’s annual party in June. For the coronation ceremony of King Charles III in May, she wore a pale blue embroidered dress with a black fascinator. Another memorable outfit was a blue-and-white dress with mosaic-like patterns to greet US first lady Jill Biden, who dressed in solid pink. Murty also made an appearance on Tatler’s Social Power Index for 2023, which was topped by King Charles III and Queen Camilla, as well as Sunak. Others included on the magazine’s fashion list include former chief executive of the Serpentine Galleries Yana Peel, opera singer Danielle de Niese, and the Marchioness of Cholmondeley. Previous mentions on the list included the late Queen Elizabeth II, the Princess of Wales, the Duchess of Sussex, human rights lawyer Amal Clooney, fashion designer Stella McCartney, and pop stars Dua Lipa and Harry Styles. Additional reporting by PA Read More Men have a problem – and it won’t be solved by either Andrew Tate or Caitlin Moran Elon Musk reacts to ex-wife Talulah Riley’s engagement to Thomas Brodie-Sangster Thomas Brodie-Sangster references Love Actually in sweet engagement announcement with Talulah Riley

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