The Times reports.The publication notes that Putin’s confidence grew after talks with Chinese leader Xi Jinping, during which the two sides discussed prospects for bilateral cooperation.A sign of changes in the Kremlin’s approach was one of the latest air attacks on Kyiv, which journalists described as among the largest since the start of the full-scale invasion. For the first time in more than three years of war, a Ukrainian government building was hit. At the same time, in Russia, representatives of the so-called “hardline” had long been calling for strikes on decision-making centers in Kyiv.The Times also emphasizes that Beijing is becoming a key platform for Putin’s diplomatic moves. He declared an “unprecedentedly high level” of relations between Moscow and China. His status at the military parade in Beijing was also symbolic: Putin sat to the right of Xi Jinping, with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un next to them. This was the first time since the Cold War that the leaders of all three countries took part in such an event simultaneously.Despite the rapprochement, the publication stresses that unlike North Korea, China is not sending troops to take part in the war against Ukraine. At the same time, Beijing supports Moscow diplomatically and avoids complying with Western sanctions. Last week, the Kremlin announced a preliminary agreement with China on the construction of the Power of Siberia-2 gas pipeline.During Russia’s September 7 attack on Ukraine, it was not a Shahed drone but a 450 kg warhead cruise missile from the Iskander operational-tactical missile system that struck the Cabinet of Ministers building.