Russia has amassed 110,000 troops near strategic Ukrainian city, Kyiv says
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Two teens show off their prom dress creations made entirely out of Duck Tape
Vanessa Lei and Chloe Baird created their own unique designs as part of the Stuck at Prom scholarship contest put on by Duck Tape. The two girls didn’t advance in the contest, but we still wanted to highlight their creativity. “It’s a wonderful memory, and a lot of hard work went into it. I’m not sure where it will go,” Lei said.
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LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — Two valley teens decided to do a little something different in regards to prom dresses this year.
Vanessa Lei and Chloe Baird created their own unique designs as part of the Stuck at Prom scholarship contest put on by Duck Tape.
I went to Baird’s home to learn more about her dress. She said it took 27 rolls and 23 hours to complete. Even the flowers are made out of Duck Tape.
She describes herself as a creative person but this was a new experience for her.
Lei brought her dress to the Channel 13 studios. She said she was inspired by beach trips to California with her family.
Her friend helped wrap her in Duck Tape to make sure it fit.
I asked them both what happens with the dresses now.
“I want to keep it,” Lei said. “It’s a wonderful memory, and a lot of hard work went into it. I’m not sure where it will go. My closet doesn’t really have the space for it, but I’ll find a space for it.”
Baird said she might actually put hers to work.
“Use the bottom layer as a work mat of sorts, so if I want to paint, it won’t get anything like my mom’s nice tablecloth,” she said.
While the two girls didn’t advance in the contest, we still wanted to highlight their creativity.
Please note: This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.
Russia has amassed 110,000 troops near strategic Ukrainian city, Kyiv says
Russian forces have been trying to capture Pokrovsk for almost a year, staging one grinding offensive after another. But despite having a clear advantage in terms of the number of troops and weapons, Moscow has failed to take over the city. Russian President Vladimir Putin has made it clear that his goal is to seize all of the eastern Ukrainian regions of Donetsk and Luhansk his forces partially occupy. Ukrainian troops began using drones as integral part of their defensive strategy, successfully integrating drone operators with their ground forces, a US-based conflict monitor said. The ISW said in its most recent assessment on Friday that Russian forces were continuing assaults with small fireteams of one to two soldiers, sometimes on motorcycles, in all-terrain vehicles and buggies. The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) said late last year that Ukrainian defensive operations in PokrovSk have forced Russia to abandon its original plan to take the city in a frontal assault.
Russia has amassed 110,000 troops in the vicinity of Pokrovsk as part of its efforts to take over the strategic eastern Ukrainian city, the Ukrainian military chief said Friday.
Oleksandr Syrskyi said on Friday that the area around Pokrovsk was the “hottest spot” along the 1,200-kilometre (745 miles) front line which runs across the east.
Russian forces have been trying to capture Pokrovsk for almost a year, staging one grinding offensive after another. But despite having a clear advantage in terms of the number of troops and weapons available, Moscow has failed to take over the city.
Pokrovsk is a strategic target for Moscow. Russian President Vladimir Putin has made it clear that his goal is to seize all of the eastern Ukrainian regions of Donetsk and Luhansk his forces partially occupy.
Kyiv and its allies accuse Putin of stalling on peace efforts so that his forces can seize more Ukrainian territory.
Although not a major city, Pokrovsk sits on a key supply road and railroad that connect it with other military hubs in the area. Together with Kostiantynivka, Kramatorsk and Sloviansk, it forms the backbone of Ukrainian defenses in the part of Donetsk region that is still under Kyiv’s control.
Some 60,000 lived in Pokrovsk before the war, but the majority have left in the three years since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022.
Ukraine’s last operating coking coal mine was in Pokrovsk and many of its employees were staying in the area to keep it going. Once it was forced to shut down early this year, they too began to leave.
The Institute for the Study of War (ISW), a US-based conflict monitor, said late last year that Ukrainian defensive operations in Pokrovsk have forced Russia to abandon its original plan to take over Pokrovsk in a frontal assault.
Residents walk next to an apartment building hit by Russian military strikes in Pokrovsk onApril 23, 2025. Nina Liashonok/Reuters
The ISW said this was because Ukrainian troops began using drones as integral part of their defensive strategy, successfully integrating drone operators with their ground forces.
At the same time, Russia was unable to increase the number of troops in the area by much, because it was trying to contain the surprise incursion of Ukrainian troops into its own territory in the southern Kursk region.
Syrskyi told reporters last week that at one point, the Kursk operation pulled back nearly 63,000 Russian troops and some 7,000 North Korean troops.
“This allowed us to weaken the enemy’s pressure on the main fronts and regroup our troops. And the enemy’s capture of Pokrovsk, announced back in September 2024, has not yet taken place, thanks in part to our Kursk operation,” he said.
Instead of continuing to attacking the city directly, Russian troops then began encircling the city from south and northeast.
The ISW said in its most recent assessment on Friday that Russian forces were continuing assaults with small fireteams of one to two soldiers, sometimes on motorcycles, in all-terrain vehicles and buggies.
In a statement issued on Friday, Syrksky said Russia continued to try to break through to the administrative border of the Donetsk region.
“They want to do this not only to achieve some operational results, but primarily for demonstrative purposes. To achieve a psychological effect: to put the infamous ‘foot of the Russian soldier’ there, plant a flag and trumpet another pseudo-‘victory,’” he said.
Ukraine downs new Russian Grom-1 bomb missile near Dnipro city, official says
Russia launched its new Grom-1 bomb missile at Dnipropetrovsk Oblast for the first time on June 28. The missile was shot down by Ukrainian air defenses, Governor Serhii Lysak said. The attack comes as Russian troops continue their offensive in neighboring Donetsk Oblast. Russia regularly uses guided aerial bombs to attack front-line areas in Ukraine’s east and south, as well as regional centers such as Kharkiv, Sumy, and Zaporizhzhia. Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what’s in the article.
Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what’s in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience.
Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what’s in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Generate Key Takeaways
Russia launched its new Grom-1 bomb missile at Dnipropetrovsk Oblast for the first time on June 28, but it was shot down by Ukrainian air defenses, Governor Serhii Lysak said.
The attack comes as Russian troops continue their offensive in neighboring Donetsk Oblast, pushing closer to Dnipropetrovsk Oblast — a major industrial region in central Ukraine.
In mid-June, Ukraine’s military denied reports that Russian troops had entered the region, with President Volodymyr Zelensky saying that Ukrainian troops had intercepted Russian reconnaissance units attempting to breach Dnipropetrovsk Oblast.
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Explosions in Dnipro were heard around 11:30 a.m. local time, shortly after the Ukrainian Air Force reported that Russia had launched guided aerial bombs.
The strike was later confirmed to have been launched from the Russian-occupied part of Zaporizhzhia Oblast.
“The target flew more than 100 kilometers and was shot down by air defense outside the city of Dnipro,” the statement read.
Authorities are verifying the wreckage of the downed weapon.
To date, neither Russian guided aerial bombs nor the Grom-1 bomb missile had previously reached the city of Dnipro.
The Grom-1 is described to be a hybrid of a guided aerial bomb and a missile, developed from the Kh-38 missile platform, with an estimated range of up to 120 kilometers.
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Russia regularly uses guided aerial bombs to attack front-line areas in Ukraine’s east and south, as well as regional centers such as Kharkiv, Sumy, and Zaporizhzhia.
As Moscow intensifies its attacks on Ukrainian cities, earlier this week on June 24, Russian forces struck civilian infrastructure and a passenger train with ballistic missiles, killing at least 21 people and injuring more than 300 others.
Read also: Russia has amassed 111,000 troops near Pokrovsk, Syrskyi says
We’ve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
Oxnard Man Released After Being Detained by ICE Agents While Filming Father’s Arrest
Juan Ramirez Diaz, who lives in Oxnard with his wife and two children, was taken into custody around noon Monday. According to his family, Ramirez Diaz was filming as ICE agents detained his father, who is not a U.S. citizen. His wife later shared the video on social media and filed a missing persons report with Oxnard police after he failed to return home. The family’s attorney said Diaz was “attacked by these ICE agents, maced, punched, beaten” and then transported to a local hospital before being moved to the Metropolitan Detention Center in Los Angeles. Oxnard Police Chief Jason Benitez reiterated that the department is not cooperating with ICE, citing California’s sanctuary state law.
Juan Ramirez Diaz, who lives in Oxnard with his wife and two children, was taken into custody around noon Monday in an industrial area near Pacific Avenue. According to his family, Ramirez Diaz was filming as ICE agents detained his father, who is not a U.S. citizen, when he was tased and taken as well. His wife later shared the video on social media and filed a missing persons report with Oxnard police after he failed to return home.
“My husband is a U.S. citizen, he never should have been taken,” said Monique Ramirez. The family’s attorney said Diaz was “attacked by these ICE agents, maced, punched, beaten,” and then transported to a local hospital before being moved to the Metropolitan Detention Center in Los Angeles. He was released before 3 p.m. Tuesday and is now back with his family.
Police said they conducted a follow-up investigation Tuesday morning after they received the missing persons report. “We obliged and took that report for them this morning, we did a follow up to see if we could locate the individual and it turned out he had been taken down to the Metropolitan Detention Center,” said Oxnard Police Chief Jason Benitez.
Witnesses described the arrest scene as chaotic and intimidating. “It was really sad,” said one worker in the area. “When they came, people looked really scared, like we were criminals.” Another nearby worker, Victor Garcia, added, “In my opinion it is just like racial profiling—they just pull Latino Americans, Hispanics—it is not right.”
The case has raised questions about local law enforcement’s role in immigration enforcement. Oxnard Police Chief Benitez reiterated that the department is not cooperating with ICE, citing Senate Bill 54 — California’s sanctuary state law — which prohibits local agencies from using resources to aid federal immigration enforcement. However, some residents remain skeptical.
Community members — including activists, attorneys, and people from both sides of the political aisle — filled city council chambers Tuesday night to demand answers and accountability. One speaker said, “Fear hangs like a cloud over Oxnard right now.” A hotline number to report undocumented individuals was also read aloud during public comment.
Deborah Baber, treasurer of the Ventura County Republican Party, addressed the incident during public comment, saying, “One got picked up incorrectly is not even a drop in the bucket—it is not even a bit of mist.” But the overwhelming majority of speakers urged council members to stand up for migrant workers and denounce the recent actions by immigration authorities.
“Now the community is going to make its voice heard about some of the stuff that has happened in the last week—really traumatic incidences that have occurred and community members that have been impacted by these immigration raids,” said Steven Auclair, Chair of the Democratic Party.
ICE has not responded to requests for information about what happened to Ramirez Diaz or his father. Video of the incident has circulated widely online, drawing attention from civil rights advocates and immigration groups. Further coverage and community reaction will be featured tonight on the news.
Russian attacks against Ukraine kill 10, injure at least 50 over past day
Ukrainian forces downed 21 out of the 23 drones, including Shahed-type attack drones and decoys, launched by Russia overnight. Russia usually launches decoys alongside real drones to overwhelm Ukraine’s air defense. A Russian drone attack on the city of Odesa hit a high-rise building, killing a married couple and injuring at least 14 other people, including three children. Five people were killed and 25 others injured in a missile strike on Samar in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast.
Ukrainian forces downed 21 out of the 23 drones, including Shahed-type attack drones and decoys, launched by Russia overnight, the Air Force reported.
One drone was intercepted by electronic warfare or disappeared from radars, according to the statement. Russia usually launches decoys alongside real drones to overwhelm Ukraine’s air defense.
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A Russian drone attack on the city of Odesa hit a high-rise building, killing a married couple and injuring at least 14 other people, including three children, Governor Oleh Kiper said.
A Russian missile strike on the city of Samar in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast killed five people and injured at least 25 others, Governor Serhii Lysak said.
Three men aged 30, 36 and 53 were injured in a Russian attack on Chuhuiv in Kharkiv Oblast, according to Governor Oleh Syniehubov.
Russian attacks near Polohy and Vasylivka in Zaporizhzhia Oblast injured a man and a woman, Governor Ivan Fedorov reported.
Russian troops injured a man by dropping an explosive device on the Bilopillia community in Sumy Oblast, local authorities reported.
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Two people were killed in Kostiantynivka and Ivanopillia in Donetsk Oblast, Governor Vadym Filashkin said. Two others suffered injuries in the region over the past day.
In Kherson Oblast, Russian forces targeted 42 settlements, including the regional center of Kherson. One person was killed, and three others injured, Governor Oleksandr Prokudin reported.
Read also: Russia has amassed 111,000 troops near Pokrovsk, Syrskyi says
We’ve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.