When Israel first started bombing Iran, many in Russia saw it as an opportunity, a means of drawing support and attention away from Ukraine.

Russia is appealing to Israel to show restraint in the crisis with Iran, and believes Tehran is exercising its right to self-defence, Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov was quoted as saying on Monday.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned on Friday that the escalating Israel-Iran conflict is inadvertently helping Russia by driving up global oil prices, which in turn increases Moscow’s energy revenues and fuels its war machine.