(NEW YORK) — More than six months after Russian President Vladimir Putin launched an invasion into neighboring Ukraine, the two countries are engaged in a struggle for control of areas throughout eastern and southern Ukraine.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, whose forces began an offensive in August, has vowed to take back all Russian-occupied territory. But Putin in September announced a mobilization of reservists, which is expected to call up as many as 300,000 additional troops.

Here’s how the news is developing. All times Eastern:

Nov 15, 9:22 AM EST
Kyiv hit with a series of missile strikes

There have been a series of Russian missile strikes on Kyiv, with the city’s mayor, Vitaliy Klitchko, saying two residential buildings have been hit and several missiles were shot down by air defense.

So far there are no details on casualties; however, unverified videos circulating show an apartment block engulfed in flames.

Nov 14, 3:17 PM EST
International Atomic Energy Agency to dispatch security missions to 3 nuclear plants

The International Atomic Energy Agency will send security missions to three nuclear plants in Ukraine, the agency announced Monday.

Safety and security experts will be dispatched to the South Ukraine, Khmelnytskyi and Rivne Nuclear power plants following a request from Ukraine, the IAEA said in a statement. A security mission will also be conducted at the Chernobyl site, said IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi.

The IAEA already has a team of experts continuously present at the country’s largest such facility, the Zaporizhzhya plant, and has been carrying out safety measures and checks at three other locations in Ukraine at the request of the Ukrainian government following allegations by the Russian Federation about activities there, according to the agency.

“From the beginning of the war in Ukraine, the IAEA has been doing everything it can to prevent a nuclear accident with potentially serious consequences for public health and the environment,” Grossi said. “We have delivered nuclear safety and security equipment, produced impartial assessments of the situation, and provided technical expertise and advice.”

-ABC News’ Will Gretzky

Nov 14, 3:06 PM EST
UN General Assembly calls on Russia to pay reparations

The United Nations General Assembly has approved its fifth resolution this year that supports Ukraine and rebukes Russia, declaring that Moscow should pay for damages caused by its invasion.

The resolution, which 94 countries voted in favor of, calls for the creation of “an international mechanism for reparation for damage, loss or injury” resulting from the war.

The resolution was co-sponsored by Canada, Guatemala, Netherlands and Ukraine. China was among the 14 countries that voted against it. There were 73 absentations.

While not legally binding, General Assembly resolutions have been viewed by Western powers as a powerful messaging tool through the conflict, communicating worldwide opposition to Russia’s invasion.

-ABC News’ Shannon Crawford

Nov 14, 1:21 PM EST
US citizen among prisoners freed in liberated Kherson

A U.S. citizen has been freed from prison in Kherson, the southern city that Russia had occupied for about eight months, according to a member of Ukraine’s parliament.

Swede Merekezi was arrested in Kherson in July and had not been in contact with officials for “a long time,” Ukraine parliament member Alexandr Kovaliov said in a statement posted to Facebook on Monday.

Merekezi was in Ukraine to defend “our country’s independence” and will be heading home on Monday, Kovaliov said.

A spokesperson for the U.S. Department of State said they are aware of unconfirmed reports but declined to comment further due to privacy concerns.

“This once again proves the cohesion and hard work of our team,” Kovaliov said.

-ABC News’ Shannon Crawford and Will Gretsky

Nov 14, 6:31 AM EST
Zelenskyy visits Kherson after liberation

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenksyy on Monday visited Kherson, the southern city that Russia had occupied for about eight months.

He handed out awards and was seen speaking to soldiers and civilians. Video footage showed Zelenskyy waving to residents who waved at him from an apartment window and yelled, “Glory to Ukraine!”

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov declined to comment on the visit, other than to say that it was Russian territory.

-ABC News’ Joe Simonetti

Nov 13, 1:36 PM EST
Ukrainians celebrate Kherson liberation

Russian forces completed their retreat from the Ukrainian city of Kherson on Friday. Now, Ukrainians are celebrating the liberation.

Nov 12, 2:45 PM EST
Banksy mural unveiled in Ukraine

Renowned street artist Banksy debuted a new work in a war-torn Ukrainian town in the Kyiv region.

The anonymous British artist posted photos of a mural to Instagram on Friday in Borodyanka, which was liberated from Russian forces in April.

The piece, which depicts a young girl doing a handstand on a pile of concrete rubble, was painted onto the wall of a building destroyed by shelling.

Fans were taking photos of the work, as well as several others presumed to be by the artist, in the region on Saturday.

Nov 11, 3:15 PM EST
Satellite images show damage to bridge near Kherson

New satellite images from Maxar, a Colorado space technology company, show massive damage to Kherson’s Antonovskiy Bridge and other structures after the Russian withdrawal across the Dnipro River.

The bridge is the main way to cross over the Dnipro River near the city of Kherson.

Photos show several sections of the key bridge have been completely destroyed.

ABC News’ Stephen Wood

Nov 11, 10:54 AM EST
Russians leave Kherson Oblast, not just the city

Russian forces have retreated not just from the city of Kherson, but the rest of Kherson province that surrounds the city and lies north of the Dnipro River.

The Russian Ministry of Defense said that its 30,000 troops have now crossed to the other bank of the river, a figure that is in line with how many forces U.S. officials had estimated were in Kherson.

Russians claimed they are continuing to shell areas around Kherson that they’ve just left, which could be a concern for Ukrainian troops who will be in the range of Russian artillery fire while in the city.

Russia also claimed that fire damage is being inflicted on the accumulations of manpower and military equipment of the Ukrainian armed forces on the right bank of the Dnipro River.

ABC News’ Luis Martinez

Nov 11, 10:06 AM EST
Russia says withdrawal from Kherson complete

Russian forces have completed their retreat from the Ukrainian city of Kherson, the Russian Ministry of Defense said, saying the last of its troops crossed over to the other side of the Dnipro river.

In a statement carried by Russia’s state news agencies, the ministry said the withdrawal was completed at 5 a.m. Moscow time on Friday.

ABC News’ Patrick Reevell

Nov 10, 3:53 PM EST
Pentagon announces $400M in aid to Ukraine

The Pentagon announced a new $400 million defense package for Ukraine on Thursday.

The new aid will include four short-range Avenger air defense systems, which is a first for the packages approved for the war in Ukraine. It will also include more missiles for HAWK air defense systems, more anti-aircraft Stinger missiles, HIMARS ammunition, precision-guided artillery rounds and Humvees.

The Ukrainians will need some training on the Avengers, according to Deputy Pentagon press secretary Sabrina Singh, who did not give an estimate on when the systems might arrive and be ready to use.

With this latest drawdown, the U.S. has now committed more than $18.6 billion for the war since Russia invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24.

ABC News’ Matt Seyler

Nov 10, 11:51 AM EST
US estimates 100,000 Russians killed or wounded in Ukraine

A new U.S. assessment estimates 100,000 Russians have been killed or wounded in the war in Ukraine, according to Gen. Mark Milley, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

The U.S. last gave an estimate in early August that the number of Russians killed and wounded was between 70,000 and 80,000.

“There has been a tremendous amount of suffering, human suffering, you’re looking at maybe 15, 20, 30 million refugees, probably 40,000 Ukrainian innocent people who are civilians have been killed as collateral damage,” said Milley.

He added, “You’re looking at well over 100,000 Russian soldiers killed or wounded, same thing probably on the Ukrainian side.”

He pointed out that Russia invaded Ukraine with a force of 170,000 troops.

ABC News’ Luis Martinez

Nov 09, 12:54 PM EST
Oligarch close to Putin says Russian troop retreat was necessary

Russian oligarch Yevgeny Prigozhin, who runs the private military company Wagner, said Wednesday that Russia’s retreat from the key Ukrainian city of Kherson was painful but necessary.

Prigozhin, nicknamed “Putin’s Chef” due to his restaurant and catering businesses, said Russian troops had to withdraw from Kherson because they were nearly surrounded by Ukrainian forces and cut off from supply lines.

“Neither I, nor Wagner abandoned Kherson,” Pigozhin said. “Without question, it is not a victorious step in this war, but it’s important not to agonize, nor to fall into paranoia, but to make conclusions and work on mistakes.”

He praised Russian Gen. Sergey Surovikin for making the decision to withdraw Russian troops and saving the lives of thousands of soldiers.

ABC News’ Patrick Reevell

Nov 09, 11:32 AM EST
Russian troops retreat from key Ukrainian city

Russia’s defense minister and top commander in Ukraine announced Wednesday that Russian troops will pull back from the key city of Kherson in southern Ukraine.

Defense minister Sergey Shoigu said he accepted a proposal from Russian Gen. Sergey Surovikin to order Russian forces to retreat to the eastern bank of the Dnieper River, in effect abandoning the city of Kherson.

Surovikin said it was a “very difficult decision” and justified it as necessary to save the lives of Russian soldiers and to preserve their capacity for future operations.

“Besides that, it frees up part of the forces and resources, which will be employed for active actions, including offensive, in other directions,” Surovikin said in the televised meeting with Shoigu.

Kherson is the only regional capital the Russians have occupied since 2014. The city and the surrounding area act as a gateway to Crimea Peninsula, which was annexed by Russia in 2014.

Nov 09, 3:21 AM EST
White House denounces Griner transfer to penal colony

Brittney Griner, the WNBA star detained in Russia, has been transferred to a penal colony, a move decried by White House officials.

“Every minute that Brittney Griner must endure wrongful detention in Russia is a minute too long,” White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said in a statement early Wednesday. “As the Administration continues to work tirelessly to secure her release, the President has directed the Administration to prevail on her Russian captors to improve her treatment and the conditions she may be forced to endure in a penal colony.”

Griner’s lawyers said in a statement that she was transferred on Nov. 4 from a detention center in Iksha. She’s now on her way to a penal colony in an undisclosed location.

“We do not have any information on her exact current location or her final destination,” the lawyers, Blagovolina and Alexander Boykov, said in a statement. “In accordance with the standard Russian procedure the attorneys, as well as the U.S. Embassy, should be notified upon her arrival at her destination.”

The White House said it had made a “significant offer” to Russian officials to “resolve the current unacceptable and wrongful detentions of American citizens.”

“In the subsequent weeks, despite a lack of good faith negotiation by the Russians, the U.S. Government has continued to follow up on that offer and propose alternative potential ways forward with the Russians through all available channels,” Jean-Pierre said in a statement.

She added, “The U.S. Government is unwavering in its commitment to its work on behalf of Brittney and other Americans detained in Russia — including fellow wrongful detainee Paul Whelan.”

ABC News’ Cindy Smith, Ahmad Hemingway and Tanya Stukalova

Copyright © 2022, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

(NEW YORK) — The global population is projected to hit eight billion on Tuesday, according to a report by the United Nations’ population division.

“This year’s World Population Day falls during a milestone year, when we anticipate the birth of the Earth’s eight billionth inhabitant. This is an occasion to celebrate our diversity, recognize our common humanity, and marvel at advancements in health that have extended lifespans and dramatically reduced maternal and child mortality rates,” U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres said in a news release. “At the same time, it is a reminder of our shared responsibility to care for our planet and a moment to reflect on where we still fall short of our commitments to one another.”

According to the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division, India will surpass China as the world’s most populous country next year.

The global population has been growing at its slowest rate since the 1950s, falling under 1% in 2020.

The latest projections by the U.N. show the global population may reach 8.5 billion in 2030 and 9.7 billion in 2050. It is projected to peak at around 10.4 billion during the 2080s and remain at that level until 2100.

According to the U.N., it took 12 years for the global population to go from seven billion to eight billion.

In recent decades, fertility has dipped in many countries. Around two-thirds of the world’s population lives in a country or area where lifetime fertility is under 2.1 births per woman, which is the level needed for no growth in the long term for a population with low mortality, according to the U.N.

Over half of the projected global population growth up to 2050 will happen in eight countries: the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Nigeria, Pakistan, the Philippines and the United Republic of Tanzania.

Copyright © 2022, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

(LONDON) — As Britain’s royal family gathered on Remembrance Sunday to honor members of the U.K. and Commonwealth who died in war, for the first time at the event, a wreath was laid on behalf of Camilla, the queen consort.

The wreath, laid at the Cenotaph war memorial in London, featured Camilla’s racing colors and her new cypher, which is her monogram below a symbol of the crown.

Camilla’s monogram is now CR, which incorporates her initial, “C,” and “R” for Regina, which is Latin for queen.

Camilla, who became queen consort after the death of Queen Elizabeth II in September, watched the Remembrance Sunday service from the balcony of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, alongside her daughter-in-law Kate, the princess of Wales.

With the death of the queen, Britain’s longest-reigning monarch, Camilla and Kate are now the two highest-ranking and most high-profile women in the royal family.

It is Camilla who will be crowned next May at the coronation ceremony of her husband, King Charles III.

The stature of Camilla today within both the royal family and public opinion is a far cry from her low popularity more than 20 years ago when she and Charles first began dating publicly.

Much of the public attention on Camilla, a mom of two with ex-husband Andrew Parker Bowles, was as the other woman in the failed marriage between Charles and the late Princess Diana. That tangled relationship is the subject of the new season of Netflix’s The Crown, a fictionalized drama focused on Britain’s royal family.

When Charles and Camilla finally married in 2005, there was debate as to what title Camilla would take when Charles became king, including concern that the public might resent Camilla being known as Queen Camilla.

At the time of their wedding, a spokesperson for the couple suggested she would take the title princess consort.

It was not until Elizabeth gave her blessing earlier this year that it was confirmed Camilla would be known as queen consort, the title given to the spouse of a king. Under U.K. law, whoever is married to a king would immediately become queen consort and be known as queen.

Victoria Murphy, an ABC News royal contributor, said that while Camilla’s popularity is not as high as Kate and her husband Prince William, she is now “very much publicly accepted” as a senior member of the royal family.

“When it came to turning around her public image, an aide once told me that she took the view that she just wanted to go out and meet people and let them decide for themselves about her,” said Murphy. “There was a concerted PR effort to get the public to warm to her after years of seeing her as Diana’s enemy, but I don’t think it would have worked if she hadn’t also turned perceptions around by herself through the way she behaved.”

Murphy said of her own observations of Camilla, “She is also very friendly and polite to journalists, often stopping to chat with people covering her engagements, despite the fact that she has been intensely scrutinized and criticized in the media.”

Though she had some guidance from the late queen, it is Charles whom Camilla has leaned on the most to learn the ins and outs of royal life, according to Murphy.

“She grew up in a wealthy family so was familiar with the activities and social circles of the royals, but royal work was still new to her when she married,” said Murphy. “She had not had a career and like many women of her generation had grown up expecting to focus on her family.”

Murphy said Camilla at first did what was expected of her in the royal role to support her husband, but has since forged her own path, saying, “She has become more and more personally invested in her own causes and the impact she can have.”

The causes Camilla has focused her work on include literacy, osteoporosis and domestic violence.

Murphy said she expects Camilla to continue to focus on those issues as queen consort, in addition to supporting Charles in his role as monarch.

“I expect there will be a focus on key royal events alongside the king as far as her diary goes, but she will still keep up many of her charity visits, both publicly and privately,” said Murphy. “We have already seen things like her Reading Room initiative continue under a new name, and I think she will be keen to continue working to advance the causes she has become passionate about.”

Camilla is also expected to maintain some of her independence, as she has throughout her marriage to Charles, according to Murphy.

Camilla was in her late 50s when she married Charles, and was already the mother of two grown children. She is now a grandmother of five, and a step-grandmother to five more, the children of William and Kate and Prince Harry and Meghan, the duchess of Sussex.

“She retained her own home in Wiltshire when she married Charles in 2005,” said Murphy. “This is where she often spends weekends and sees her grandchildren and I would expect this to continue as they are a couple who do like to occasionally have time apart as well as together.”

The role of family matriarch

What role Camilla will play as the new matriarch on Charles’ side of the family remains less certain, according to Murphy, who said Camilla grew close to the late queen over the years, but is less close with Charles’ three siblings, Princess Anne, Prince Edward and Prince Andrew.

“I think Camilla gets along with but is not particularly close to her husband’s siblings,” said Murphy. “Camilla has her own circle of friends and family, such as her sister Annabel Elliot, who are her main confidantes, and I think most important to Camilla is her relationship with her husband.”

Murphy continued, “They are quite different but they have always worked as a team and she has always resolved first and foremost to support him. He can be quite serious and I think she brings a lightness and sense of fun, which is reflected in many of the images that you see of them laughing together.”

In recent years, Charles and Camilla have presented themselves as a united front with William, the heir to the throne, and Kate, with whom Camilla has a warm relationship, according to Murphy.

“Before Kate married William she took advice from Camilla and their relationship has remained on good terms,” she said. “Camilla recently invited Kate to photograph her for Country Life Magazine which I think shows a lot of trust and fondness for her.”

Murphy added of Kate and Camilla’s common goals, “Ultimately, I think both women are first and foremost loyal to, and work in a team with, their husbands.”

Though Charles’ youngest son Harry is now less in the picture after having stepped down from his senior royal role in 2020, both he and William have spoken warmly of Camilla in the past, Murphy said.

“I think that it’s always hard to get a handle on exactly what things are like behind closed doors, but we have certainly heard William and Harry speak warmly of Camilla in the past and frequently seen them greet her warmly publicly,” she said. “Obviously things have changed in the past few years when it comes to Harry’s relationship with other members of the royal family, and I believe it’s fair to say that his relationship with Camilla has followed that trend.”

Elizabeth was known as the great uniter in her family, the one about whom no one had a bad word to say, according to Murphy.

In past years, royal family members would devotedly travel to Sandringham each year to celebrate Christmas together at the queen’s beloved estate.

Murphy said she expects the family to follow tradition this Christmas, their first without the queen, but then new traditions may take shape.

“I still think that family gatherings will be important in the reign of King Charles, but over time it’s possible that we may see the focus shift in terms of who attends,” said Murphy. “Will William’s cousins spend every Christmas with their uncle in the way they did with their grandmother, for example? It’s also possible that Camilla’s children and grandchildren will become part of the Sandringham royal Christmas if she and Charles are hosting.”

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