Good evening. The missile strike that hit a Russian navy headquarters was a “blow to the dictatorship of Putin”, according to the Ukrainian air force spokesman. Also, the King and Queen close out their France state visit.
A Ukrainian missile struck the headquarters of Russia’s Black Sea navy fleet in the occupied Crimean port of Sevastopol, in the latest of a succession of brazen attacks on the peninsula. Videos online showed plumes of smoke rising above the headquarters in the key naval port city. Russian positions in Crimea, seized and annexed from Ukraine in 2014, have been recently targeted with long-range British Storm Shadow missiles. Find the latest on our live blog.
It comes after Volodymyr Zelensky vowed to liberate the eastern city of Bakhmut and two other cities in a secret plan. “We will de-occupy Bakhmut,” the Ukrainian president told reporters in Washington. “I think that we will de-occupy two more cities,” he added. Joe Barnes has all the details. Elsewhere, The Telegraph was exclusively allowed into a US munitions facility to see how the war in Ukraine is changing military logistics. Watch the Defence in Depth Special.
The Home Office is forcing some contractors to book hotels with “at least a minimum of three stars” to house small-boat migrants after costs soared to £8 million a day. The most recent contract issued by the Home Secretary’s department, seen by The Telegraph, lists “mandatory requirements” for all hotels booked, stating: “Contracted venues should be at least a minimum of three stars.” The revelation comes after Suella Braverman said she is “very concerned about hotels” and called their use “unacceptable”. Lizzie Dearden has the full story.
Home sellers could be missing out on best offers because of commission fees earned by estate agents, Trading Standards has warned. The boss of the enforcement authority for estate agents said referral fees earned through third party services can rise so high that it becomes more lucrative to choose a buyer based on the services they have used - rather than choosing the highest bidder. Speaking to The Telegraph, James Munro, the head of the National Trading Standards Estate and Letting Agency Team said: “We’ve seen commissions of 50pc of the price, which is just ridiculous really. In some cases, the consumer’s getting no benefit from them.” Alexa Phillips has more from this interview.
Sara Sharif | New images of the 10-year-old wearing a hijab have been released as detectives believe they reflect how she may have dressed in the weeks before her death.