Ukraine war: Russia says US involved and farmers report stolen seeds

US military personnel at a defence show in Saudi Arabia in March

Russia accused the US of direct involvement in the war in Ukraine for the first time on Tuesday.

The Kremlin had previously accused the US of fighting a "proxy war", but Russian officials have stepped up the accusation by saying the Biden administration was approving targets for American-made Himars rocket launchers.

Lt Gen Igor Konashenkov, a spokesman for Moscow's defence ministry, said the US is "directly responsible" for rocket attacks which killed civilians in the Donbas region. Intercepted calls between Ukrainian officials proved this, he said.

The BBC could not independently verify his claim and US officials did not immediately comment.

• Read more on this story here

Russian forces stealing sunflower seeds

Russian forces have been systematically stealing seeds from Ukrainian farmers, it has been alleged.

Evidence seen by the BBC shows soldiers stealing seeds from occupied areas and transporting them back to Russia to be made into oil.

One farmer the BBC spoke to said soldiers "looted everything" and attacked one of his employees.

However a Russian dispatcher disputed this, and said the seeds were being bought legally.

• Read more about how the BBC tracked stolen seeds in Ukraine

Helping children to deal with the trauma of war

The Bucha Psychological Centre is working with young people to help them understand their experiences.

Eight-year-old Anna has become scared of loud noises since Russia invaded her home in Bucha, less than 20 miles (32 km) outside Kyiv. She runs to her mother Viktoriya if she hears a train, and fears thunder could be explosions.

Her family fled when the war began, but have returned to Bucha - where there were terrible atrocities against civilians - now that Russian forces have withdrawn from the area.

Now Viktoriya has signed her daughter up to Bucha Psychological Centre, where psychotherapists help children to understand the trauma they have been through.

Expressing herself through drawing, painting and plasticine helps Anna to leave behind her negative emotions, her mother says.

• Read more about Bucha Psychological Centre

War leads to bumper profits for BP

Energy giant BP has reported its biggest quarterly profit in 14 years, as the war in Ukraine drives up oil and gas prices.

Underlying profits hit $8.45bn (£6.9bn) between April and June - more than triple those of the same period last year.

Fears over Russia reducing gas supply to Europe - or potentially cutting it off altogether - has caused the wholesale gas price to soar.

It comes as household energy bills have been forecast to hit more than £3,600 ($2,900) this year. BP said people within the company "want to help" the cost of living crisis.

• Read more about BP's profit results here