AMNA NAWAZ: For the first time since Russia's invasion of Ukraine, civilian areas of Moscow came under a drone attack this morning.

Russian authorities blamed Ukraine for at least eight strikes in the capital city.

Five drones were shot down, but three wandered into residential areas, damaging buildings and causing residents to evacuate.

Ukraine did not claim any direct involvement.

The rare strikes inside Russia followed yet another barrage of Russian air attacks on Ukraine's capital city of Kyiv, in a sign of escalating tensions.

Moscow awoke to the sights and sounds of war for the first time since it invaded Ukraine, loud explosions, plumes of smoke in the Russian capital.

At least three buildings were hit and evacuated.

For these eyewitnesses, the war had come home.

PAVEL BOZHGO, Moscow Resident (through translator): Around 4:00, there was a deafening bang, as if strong thunder struck somewhere near.

I came out to have a look.

And there were many emergency services on site.

And it was visible that the top of the house was damaged.

WOMAN (through translator): I don't even know.

It's scary.

You sit at home and this thing flies at your window.

Of course it's dangerous and it's scary.

AMNA NAWAZ: The drones targeted a posh neighborhood, home to the Russian elite, including President Vladimir Putin.

He blamed Ukraine and called it provocation.

VLADIMIR PUTIN, Russian President (through translator): Now, as we know, they have gone as far as drone attacks, though I'm more worried, not by this, but by efforts to provoke a Russian response.

That appears to be the aim.

They are provoking us to do the same.

We will see what can be done.

AMNA NAWAZ: One man had an idea of what to do.

Yevgeny Prigozhin, head of the paramilitary Wagner force that's been fighting in Ukraine, lashed out at the Russian Defense Ministry.

He has been waging a fierce public relations campaign against those running Russia's war.

YEVGENY PRIGOZHIN, Wagner Group Chief (through translator): Get your (EXPLETIVE DELETED) up from the offices in which you are to defend this country.

You are the Ministry of Defense.

You didn't do a damn thing to advance.

The fact that they fly to your home, to hell with it.

Let your houses burn.

And what do ordinary people do when drones with explosive crash into their windows?

AMNA NAWAZ: The Ukrainian capital also woke up to yet another series of overnight airstrikes, the third to hit Kyiv in 24 hours.

One strike hit this high-rise, destroying what was once someone's home.

One woman was killed and four others injured.

Those who survived this strike fear the next one.

VALERIA ORESHKO, Kyiv Resident (through translator): I am stressed and angry.

I think everyone feels scared when something is flying towards them.

We have all survived.

But we think of what will happen next.

AMNA NAWAZ: At least 17 such attacks have hit Kyiv this month, terrifying children, who ran for shelter.

So, what impact will the attacks inside Russia have on how the Russian people perceive Putin's war in Ukraine?

We turn now to Denis Volkov.

He's director of the Levada Center in Moscow, which conducts public opinion polling.

Denis, welcome.

As you know, these drone strikes seem to be bringing the war closer to home for Russians.

But, more broadly, tell us about your public opinion polling.

What does that show you about Russian sentiment and support for the war in Ukraine?

DENIS VOLKOV, Director, Levada Center: Well, general support is pretty high, about 75 percent.

But, if you look deeper, we see that only 50 percent is a strong support, and another 30, 25 percent, they have circumstantial support.

They join the majority.

They have a lot of qualms about what is happening.

And about 25 percent, this is the core hawkish respondents.

So it's, I think, about 20, 25 percent for whom Prigozhin is a hero, for whom that the war should go one as long as Kyiv and so on and so forth, so several different circles of support.

AMNA NAWAZ: And have you seen anything that tells you whether or not these drone strikes would have any impact on that level of support?

DENIS VOLKOV: What we see that single events do not have big impacts on what is -- on support of Russian military, of Russian president.

Actually, we have had some discussions of previous drone attacks on Kremlin, and people were -- in Moscow were discussing it and said, well, yes, probably, it's a problem that it's the Kremlin.

Putin is there.

What can we simple people expect?

But, apart from this, I will say they were pretty -- pretty OK, pretty stable.

And, of course, there are different explanations for this.

And some of our respondents, for example, say that they have no more resource for war, that there are two tired of warring.

And they just tried to adjust to the station as it is.

AMNA NAWAZ: What about the impact of the sanctions, especially over time?

We heard a lot from President Biden and leaders in the Western alliance that these would have great impact, not just on the elites and those around President Putin, but more generally on the Russian people.

Have those at all eroded support over time?

DENIS VOLKOV: Well, actually, we saw that they were a shock in the beginning, in March and April last year.

But then people adjusted.

Of course, the biggest impact of sanctions was inflation.

But it was taken, put under control by the end of -- end of spring.

And, actually, with at least 50 percent of our respondents, sanctions are popular.

People say, now we will develop our own industry, that government was not doing it for 30 years.

Now the West will force us to do so.

And, absolutely, I would say the most popular sanctions on big oligarchs, which ordinary Russians don't like.

They say, yes, that's good.

Otherwise, I would say we do not have big impact, though some maybe more educated, more informed respondents say, well, sanctions are like toxin.

They work overtime.

But the majority of Russians don't really care that much.

AMNA NAWAZ: Denis, how is it that the Russian government has been able to seemingly cushion the Russian public from really feeling any impact of this war?

DENIS VOLKOV: Well, I think because Russian government invested very -- a lot of resources into it, I mean, not only state media that provide the narrative that helps to accept the situation, but also money, economic stability.

I think, if we had the banking system collapsed last spring, we would have been discussing very different moods right now, but also social spendings for -- we saw that not only families and actually people who are taking part in this special military operation, as it is known here, they got relatively high money, high social package for ordinary Russian.

But, also, we saw that, at the end of last year, the government increased salaries in the state sector, increased pensions.

And it helps to -- people to accept this.

AMNA NAWAZ: That is Denis Volkov from the Levada Center in Moscow joining us tonight.

Denis, thank you for your time.

DENIS VOLKOV: Thank you.