Moscow has come under siege early today from suspected kamikaze drone attacks, with footage showing buildings blown up.
Explosions hit wealthy areas of the Russian capital, including the elite district Rublyovka with reports of several people wounded.
At the same time in Kyiv a pre-dawn air raid killed at least one person and sent people scrambling into shelters.
Russia claimed 15 of 25 drones had been downed approaching Moscow or over the city - additional to those that struck buildings.
Three crashed into residential buildings, and in one case did not explode.
Buildings in Leninisky Prospekt and Profsoyuznaya Street near to the centre of Moscow were among those hit, triggering panic among residents.
FSB investigators were at the scene of a number of the sites.
Pro-war channel Rybar admitted that the drone strikes caused “stress [to] the population”.
The channel repeated a common charge that Britain was behind the attack.
“The decision on such strikes is made not by the Ukrainians, but by the British,” it stated.
“The hit of the [drones] in residential buildings is caused by failures with navigation or the active operation of electronic warfare systems.
"We do not believe in the intentional launch of Ukrainian UAVs at residential buildings in Moscow.”
They were likely launched from the border regions of Chernihiv, Sumy or Kharkiv in Ukraine.
In Kyiv at least 20 Shahed explosive drones were destroyed by air defence forces in Russia's third attack on the capital in the past 24 hours, according to early information from the Kyiv Military Administration.
Overall, Ukraine shot down 29 of 31 drones fired into the country, most in the Kyiv area, the air force later added.
A high-rise building in the Holosiiv district caught fire after being hit by debris either from from drones being hit or interceptor missiles.
The building's upper two floors were destroyed, and there may be people under the rubble, the Kyiv Military Administration said. More than 20 people were evacuated.
Resident Valeriya Oreshko said in the aftermath that even though the immediate threat was over, the attacks had everyone on edge.
"You are happy that you are alive, but think about what will happen next," the 39-year-old said.
The attacks on Moscow came after the head of Ukrainian military intelligence Kyrylo Budanov warned Russia would see a quick response to the unprecedented drone and missile attacks on Kyiv in recent days.
Moscow mayor Sergey Sobanyin ordered the evacuation of several residential buildings hit by drones.
“For safety reasons, for the duration of the work of the emergency services, measures were taken to evacuate the residents of several entrances in two buildings affected by the UAV hit,” he said.
“Immediately after the end of the work of the special services residents will be able to return to their apartments.”
Governor of the Moscow region Andrei Vorobyov said: “This morning, residents of some areas of the Moscow region could hear the sounds of explosions.
“This is our air defences. On approaching Moscow, several drones were shot down. I ask people to remain calm.”
Until now Moscow has been largely a safe haven from attacks in the war, with life going on as normal despite the mayhem and misery Vladimir Putin has unleashed in dozens of Ukrainian cities.
"All those who tried to intimidate us, dreaming that this would have some effect, you will regret it very soon,” said Budanov.
“Our answer will not be long in coming. Soon everyone will see everything.”
There were also suspicions early today that the drones were sent from within Russia itself. A report suggested the incoming attacks were from the Kaluga region.
Drones were flying over Rublyovka, home to many of Putin's closest oligarchs and not far from his Moscow region official residence.
Drones exploded in the suburbs of New Moscow and Novaya Riga near Moscow with one hitting the upper floors of a residential building at 98 Profsoyuznaya Street.
The facade and glazing of the block were destroyed. A KZ-6 shaped charge was carried by a drone that hit the 16th floor.
A second hit a 24-storey residential tower block on Atlasova Street in New Moscow and a drone flew into the window of a 13th-floor flat on Leninsky Prospekt in Moscow, reported Readovka.
Footage shows the area cordoned off.
One drone was seen in the sky above the village of Funkovo, in Moscow region along with others in Kezmino and Romashkovo.
Several drones were “aircraft type” with a rear propeller. Commentary on the videos indicated the palpable shock of residents at the attack.
“F*** what a moment I caught,” said one. “The b**** is right by our house. F***! Should I leave here? I just walked out on the roof to check, and they were getting closer and closer.”
More comments said: “The first one was there. I don’t know what to do, I wonder if I should hide. What a good morning… where did it hit? Some blocks of flats is there.”
A drone was seen over the elite village of Ilyinka, in Krasnogorskiy district, Moscow region.
A person said: "Right above our house brother, right above it. It’s flying right at me, b****. Look at it, look…”
A female voice said: “Oh God!“
