EU goes after Vladimir Putin’s daughters

The Russian invaders might have been forced out from the Kyiv region, but the destruction they wreaked is appalling – the death toll still unclear and a humanitarian crisis of unimaginable proportions looms large. 

Amid the rubble and the mass graves, defence correspondent Danielle Sheridan discovers how the “liberated” have to rebuild their shattered lives in her dispatch from the town of Borodyanka (pictured above), where the death toll could be worse than in Bucha. 

With defence experts suggesting it could be weeks before Russia is ready to fight again, follow the latest in our live blog. 

In other developments:

Treasury blocks cash for energy efficiency scheme

Plans to spend hundreds of millions of pounds to reduce energy bills by making homes more efficient have been blocked by the Treasury. The Telegraph can disclose that Downing Street and the Business Secretary’s team were pushing for an expansion of the Energy Company Obligation scheme to be included in tomorrow’s energy security strategy. But Chancellor Rishi Sunak is understood to have rejected the calls as he stands firm on spending agreements set out last autumn for the next three years – leaving some Whitehall figures livid. It came as the Prime Minister defended the decision to hike National Insurance for millions of workers from today. See the new rates you will have to pay.

PS: Amid the worst cost of living crisis in a generation, we are asking readers to share their old-fashioned tips for saving cash. Submit yours.

Mystery of Darwin’s notebooks returned after 20 years

When Charles Darwin first sketched the Tree of Life in a small notebook in 1837, he took the first step towards solving one of humanity’s greatest mysteries. Now, almost 200 years later, librarians at Cambridge University are faced with another seemingly unsolvable question. How did two of his extremely valuable notebooks, which are believed to have been stolen 20 years ago, reappear in perfect condition in a pink gift bag outside the head librarian’s office? Will Bolton searches for the truth.

Daily dose of Matt

In his latest cartoon, Matt imagines the unusual way Channel 4’s sale might be organised – and view Blower‘s latest political cartoon.

Also in the news: Today’s other headlines

French election | Emmanuel Macron has been accused of dodging debate days ahead of France’s presidential election, snubbing a high-profile TV appearance just as a new opinion poll showed Marine Le Pen in her strongest position yet. Reporting from Paris, Katy Lee writes that Mr Macron’s relative absence from the campaign trail has contributed to a slide in his ratings – and the prospect of a nail-bitingly close finish.

Around the world: Covid patients fight for food

China’s zero-Covid strategy brought chaos to Shanghai, with patients fighting for food and water at makeshift quarantine centres as lockdown was extended for the city of 26 million residents. Video on social media (below) showed people scrapping for supplies after they were transferred to a temporary quarantine facility in an abandoned school in a south-eastern suburb. Jenny Pan writes that the extension of restrictions amid surging cases presents a major test for the country’s approach to the virus.