Polyfilla by Ifor

Puzzle explanation

Down entries were formed by nesting the three-letter words from down clues. One choice of letters before or after the extra words in across clues gave “enter Russian doll”; the other choice gave “Cyrillic capitals”. The entry at 8dn was МАТРЕШКА, the Cyrillic form of “matryoshka”, but the diacritic form МАТРЁШКА was also accepted. Using the letter Ё to distinguish the vowel sound /yo/ from /ye/ is optional in Russian writing; it is formally correct to write Е for both sounds.

Clue explanations

Conventions: * = anagram, < = reversal

No Extra word Answer Explanation
Across
1 (th)E Armada, C(onsumed) AFEAR (th)E in (A + FAR)
5 (giveawa)Y drugs, N(ot) GIMME ((th)EM MIG(ht)) <
6 (lef)T high R(ankers) WARLORD WARD around (L + OR)
9 (sav)E embarrassment I(n) TABARDS BAR in TADS
10 (disappea)R debating L(ecturer) MET MELT − L
11 (Skil)L flouts R(ule) ART R in TA <
12 (streptococc)I resisting U(nit) REP (st)REP(tococci)
14 (thi)S channel C(lear) NET 2 meanings
15 (Bow)S never C(hange) HEADSHEETS THESE * after HEADS
20 (Caravansera)I kitchens A(djoin) INN (adjo)IN N(ew)
21 (Whoo)P unlikely A(pproval) RAH R + AH
22 (Passio)N might I(nflame) IRE (f)IRE
23 (secure)D oriental T(rips) RESCUE BID SECURED * around BI
24 (wh)O dismissed A(ugurs) SPAEMAN (SPARE + MAN) − R
25 (hospita)L amid L(ocal) SANDING SAN + DING
26 (provincia)L sawbones S(ent) NEIST (SENT + I) *
Down
    AHS (SHAMAN − MAN) <
    AIA AA around I
    ARÊTES (SET + ERA) <
    ASH-CAN CASH + AN(d) with C moved down
    BANATE BAN + ATE
    BRA BAR with R moved up
    CANDOR ROD < after CAN
    DIGS IN DIG + SIN
    FID IF < + D
    FURRED RR in (FEUD with middle letters switched)
    GAT TAG <
    HEM 2 meanings
    HEN THEN − T
    INNATE (A TENNIS) * − S(ervice)
    LAC LAC(k)
    LITRES (b)LISTER(s) *
    METRES (EXTREMES − EX) *
    MIRREN MIRRORS + EN − (t)ORS(o)
    OUR OR around U
    REE E’ER <
    RESEAT EASTER *
    SPARED DEPARTS * − T
    TESTIS (SIT + SET) <
    WISPED WIPED around S(traw)
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