The humiliating spectacle for Russia of two drones flying over the walls of the Kremlin, its historic seat of power, has spawned conflicting theories about who did it and why — but for Vladimir Putin the incident could yet prove useful politically.
Although the drones were destroyed before causing serious damage, the incident highlighted the apparent vulnerability of central Moscow to enemy drones, and prompted angry commentators to query the efficacy of Russia's air defenses.
Inside Russia, it helped reinforce the Kremlin-backed narrative that its war in Ukraine is an existential one for the Russian state and people.