There is said to be a growing belief among Russian hardliners that Vladimir Putin should look to wipe out the Ukrainian Government with daily strikes on Kyiv.

When Ukraine smuggled dozens of drones into the back of freight trucks and launched a surprise attack on Vladimir Putin’s prized nuclear bombers, Russia’s most radical voices were furious. “Shock and outrage” is how one high-ranking Russian official described the mood in the Kremlin the day after the strike.