As a highly trained operative in Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol, Tom Cruise uses an elaborate technological ruse to break into a top-secret Kremlin archive.

But in real life, the Hollywood star has discovered a much simpler way to infiltrate gatherings of Russia’s smart set.

Cruise, 61, was spotted canoodling at a party in London‘s Mayfair with socialite Elsina Khayrova, 36, the daughter of a prominent Russian MP and ex-wife of a diamond-trading oligarch.

‘They were inseparable, clearly a couple,’ one guest at the almost entirely Russian event told the Daily Mail. ‘He seemed to be besotted with her.’

The pair are said to have turned up at the party in Grosvenor Square together at around 9pm last Saturday, much to the surprise and excitement of the other guests.

RICHARD EDEN: Tom Cruise, 61, was spotted canoodling at a party in London ‘s Mayfair with a Russian socialite

Elsina Khayrova, 36, the daughter of a prominent Russian MP and ex-wife of a diamond-trading oligarch

Khayrova showing off her model looks on the beach and at a festive gathering.

Russian businessman Dmitry Tsvetkov outside his home in Surrey

Miss Khayrova, clad in a strapless black dress with a diamanté bow, posed for pictures with Avramenko Aliena, a former Miss Europe contestant, before hitting the dance floor with her Top Gun star plus-one. Cruise and Miss Khayrova reportedly left the event together in the early hours.

‘Cruise was very friendly – he kept being asked for pictures and politely declining,’ the source said. ‘Eventually, the DJ had to make an announcement in Russian that Mr Cruise didn’t want any photos.

‘He spent most the night dancing with Ms Khayrova, but at one point he was just throwing himself around in the middle of a group of women.’

The former model, who is a British citizen, was previously married to Russian tycoon Dmitry Tsetkov, with whom she shared a £22million mansion on the Wentworth estate in Surrey as well as houses in London worth £18million.

The couple also owned properties in both Dubai and Cyprus alongside their car, jewellery and art collections worth millions of pounds.

Their very acrimonious divorce hit the headlines in the summer after Miss Khayrova was accused of hiding substantial assets from her ex-husband, including her £1million handbag collection.

She was previously seen in court in 2022 when ordered to pay £117,000 that she owed to the company who installed fountains in her Surrey home.

Miss Khayrova, clad in a strapless black dress with a diamanté bow, posed for pictures with Avramenko Aliena (left)

Sayh cheese! The Russian high society temptress is endowed with both beauty and brains. Cruise spent most of the night dancing with  her

The socialite’s defence was that her estranged husband was responsible and on the ‘Kremlin’s most-wanted list’.

Cruise, meanwhile, has not been publicly linked to anyone since his divorce from his third wife, Katie Holmes, 15 years ago, though he was recently rumoured to be dating Shakira as well as his Mission: Impossible co-star Hayley Atwell.

Though tight-lipped about his love-life, the American scientologist is always keen to discuss his fondness for Britain – where, he believes, ‘everyone is so pleasant’ and ‘well-mannered’.

Cruise was recently rumoured to be dating his Mission: Impossible co-star Hayley Atwell (pictured together in a scene)

Cruise has not been publicly linked to anyone since his divorce from his third wife, Katie Holmes, 15 years ago. Pictured at their wedding in 2006

The actor explained: ‘I guess I’m an Anglophile. I spend a lot of time in Britain and that’s not just for work reasons. I just love being here.’

He attended three high-profile events in one day in 2021 – pictured at Goodwood, Wimbledon and the Euros football final. He even held his 60th birthday party in the Cotswolds – joined by David Beckham, James Corden and Gordon Ramsay.

Perhaps now the star has a convenient excuse to spend more of his time on this side of the Atlantic?

Cruise could not be reached for comment.