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Newly-appointed British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and his family will be returning to live in a smaller flat above No 10 Downing Street as they were "very happy there," his spokesperson has said.

No 10 Downing Street has been the residence of British prime ministers since 1735, says the government's website. It has three functions - the official residence of the Prime Minister, their office and where the prime minister entertains guests from world leaders to royalty.

Sunak, along with his wife Akshata Murty and two daughters, stayed in the flat when he was chancellor to former prime minister Boris Johnson.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Wednesday told his Russian counterpart Sergei Shoigu that the Ukraine conflict should be resolved through dialogue and diplomacy and the nuclear option should not be resorted to by any side. In telephonic talks, Shoigu briefed Singh on the evolving situation in Ukraine, including his concerns about possible "provocations through use of 'dirty bomb'", the defence ministry said. The conversation took place at the initiative of the Russian defence minister amid escalation of hostilities between Russia and Ukraine. "Singh reiterated India's position on the need to pursue the path of dialogue and diplomacy for an early resolution of the conflict," the ministry said.

"He pointed out that the nuclear option should not be resorted to by any side as the prospect of the usage of nuclear or radiological weapons goes against the basic tenets of humanity," it said.

Russia's military targeted more than 40 villages around Ukraine over the past day, Ukrainian officials said on Wednesday, killing at least two civilians and sustaining the terror that forces people into air raid shelters each night. Russian forces launched five rockets, 30 air strikes and more than 100 multiple-launch rocket system attacks on Ukrainian targets, the Ukrainian armed forces general staff said.

The attacks come as fears are growing that Russia, facing setbacks on the battlefield, might try to detonate a so called 'dirty bomb,' a device that uses explosives to scatter radioactive waste in an effort to sow terror, or could go even further and tap its nuclear arsenal.

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday monitored drills of the country's strategic nuclear forces that involved multiple practice launches of ballistic and cruise missiles in a show of force.

Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar has said that he had "no role" in the parole granted to Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh who is serving a jail term after being convicted of rape and murder cases. "I have no role in this as it is the job of the court to give bail or parole to any person. The court decides whom to give parole. I do not want to say anything more on this matter," Haryana CM said while addressing a press conference.

The decision to grant Ram Rahim parole ahead of the Adampur bypoll in Haryana on November 3 and the panchayat elections has triggered a furore. Dera Sacha chief Ram Rahim was recently released from the Sunaria jail on 40-day parole. He reached Baghpat under security cover.

Senior Congress leader and former Union Minister P Chidambaram has used the victory of Rishi Sunak in the race to become the UK`s next Prime Minister to take a swipe at the BJP, remarking that there is a lesson to be learned by the parties that practise majoritarianism. "First Kamala Harris, now Rishi Sunak in the UK. The people of the US and the UK have embraced the non-majority citizens of their countries and elected them to high office in government. I think there is a lesson to learned by India and the parties that practise majoritarianism," he said in a tweet on Monday.

Sunak, 42, a Conservative party politician who is of Indian descent, will be the next Prime Minister of the UK. It marks a meteoric rise in British public life, for he became a Member of Parliament only seven years ago. It will be the first time a non-white will occupy the position of head of government in the UK.