Was this Email Forwarded to You?

A Soviet-era BTR-60PB wheeled amphibious armored personnel carrier. (Credit: Andrey 69 / Shutterstock)

SIGNIFICANT ACTIVITIES

Ukraine Rebuilds Soviet Armor Into Kamikaze Robots and Storms a Russian Stronghold

Ukrainian forces converted Soviet-era BTR-60PB armored personnel carriers into remote-controlled kamikaze ground drones and used them against fortified Russian positions near Donetsk during the ongoing Vivaldi offensive.

The 3rd Army Corps said the operation retook Nove, resulted in about 2,000 Russian personnel losses and led to the capture of more than 250 Russian soldiers. (Read More)

8 U.S. Marines Injured in Previously Undisclosed Iranian Missile Strike in Strait of Hormuz

Eight U.S. Marines suffered injuries, including smoke inhalation and possible traumatic brain injuries, when an Iranian missile struck a non-U.S. Navy ship carrying them in the Strait of Hormuz in mid-September, NBC News reported.

All eight returned to duty shortly after the attack. The Pentagon did not publicly announce the strike or injuries, which were added to its military casualty database about 10 days later. Both the War Department and U.S. Central Command declined to comment on the report. (Read More)

Russia Strikes Ukraine's National Academy of Sciences in Deadly Kyiv Barrage

A Russian drone struck Ukraine’s National Academy of Sciences in central Kyiv, killing at least two people and injuring several others. Volodymyr Horbulin, the academy’s first vice president and a former senior security official, was among those injured.

Russian strikes on Monday also targeted a private medical center, a pharmaceutical company, gas stations and data centers. Meanwhile, Russia’s Defense Ministry said its air defenses shot down 254 Ukrainian drones overnight. (Read More)

Integrated Mission-Ready Solutions

Modern missions demand more than standalone solutions. They require seamless integration across systems, teams, domains, and decision points. Parsons helps national security customers connect advanced technologies with mission needs, delivering integrated capabilities that are ready when and where they matter most.

From digital engineering and cyber resilience to command-and-control systems, critical infrastructure protection, and operational technology, our teams bring together the tools, expertise, and mission understanding needed to accelerate outcomes in complex environments. We work alongside our customers to solve today’s challenges while preparing for tomorrow’s threats.

Explore National Security Solutions →

QUICK UPDATES

CONFLICT UPDATES

➤ Israeli forces killed a Hamas operative involved in the kidnapping of Noa Argamani during the Oct. 7, 2023, attack. Saher Nidal Latfi Sakr was seen in footage kidnapping Argamani at the Nova Music Festival and was later located in Gaza’s Nuseirat area by the IDF’s undercover Gideonim Unit 33. Israel accused him of supplying Hamas with weapons and helping coordinate attacks against Israeli troops and civilians. (Read More)

➤ Finland and Sweden scrambled fighter jets together for the first time to intercept Russian jets over the Gulf of Finland. Finnish F/A-18 Hornets and Swedish JAS 39 Gripens responded after detecting a Russian formation that included a Tu-134 transport aircraft, a supersonic MiG-31 interceptor and Su-30 fighter jets in international airspace. (Read More)

➤ Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered an additional 15,500 positions in Russia’s armed forces, marking the fourth expansion in seven months. The decree raises the authorized total to 2,441,630 personnel, including 1,550,500 service members. (Read More)

SECURITY UPDATES

➤ The five men arrested near the U.S.-operated RAF Fairford air base in southwestern England were released on bail. The men, all London residents in their 20s, were arrested Sunday under the Explosives Act after police received a report that three vans had been spotted near the base. Reports said police did not find any viable explosives in the vehicles. (Read More)

➤ ShinyHunters said it will not release the FBI employee data it stole, calling the breach a “marketing campaign” to draw attention to the group and counter misinformation. Information leaked on its dark web site included personal details of about 5,000 employees, including names, home addresses and phone numbers. (Read More)

➤ NVIDIA released an open-source security platform designed to help control and monitor AI agents as concerns grow over AI-driven cyberattacks. More than 100 organizations, including Anthropic, Microsoft, Palantir and JPMorgan Chase, have committed to using the platform. (Read More)

TECHNOLOGY UPDATES

➤ Iran’s Revolutionary Guard claimed it seized a second U.S. underwater drone in the Strait of Hormuz. The IRGC said its forces used intelligence and electronic warfare capabilities to capture a U.S. Navy Remus 600 UROV that it alleged was conducting espionage. CENTCOM rejected the claim, saying all of its drones are accounted for. (Read More)

➤ An unidentified shoulder-fired air defense missile has appeared in Russian service, with analysts suggesting it may be based on a Chinese or Iranian design. TWZ said the launcher resembles the Iranian Misagh-3 and Chinese QW-series systems, including the QW-18/QW-18A and QW-19. (Read More)

➤ SpaceX’s Starship reached orbit for the first time during its 14th test flight from Starbase, Texas, but the mission ended earlier than planned. The spacecraft deployed 26 Starlink satellites before splashing down in the Pacific Ocean after losing one engine during ascent. (Read More)

HALO: Fielded, Resilient Communications for Drone Dominance

Elsight’s HALO multilink connectivity platform enables resilient, beyond-line-of-sight (BLOS) operations in GNSS-denied and electronically contested environments by fusing diverse communication paths into a single, self-healing network.

This ensures uninterrupted command, control, and real-time data flow for ISR, targeting, and autonomous swarm coordination, capabilities central to the Drone Dominance program. Halo’s low SWaP profile supports Group 1–3 UAS as well as larger platforms, extending mission endurance without sacrificing payload capacity. By delivering consistent connectivity where traditional links fail, HALO enhances operational tempo, survivability, and mission success across distributed, multi-domain operations.

HALO is TRL 9, BlueUAS-listed, cybersecure, and NDAA-compliant, with over 500,000 contested operational hours across active U.S. and allied military programs, including demonstrated success with DIU and SOCOM initiatives.

Learn more about Halo →

SPECIAL CATEGORY

➤ A U.S. appeals court upheld the Pentagon’s decision to blacklist Anthropic over restrictions on its AI technology for military use. In a 2-1 ruling, the court said the administration had authority to impose the ban, saying overly restricted AI could disrupt military operations. Anthropic may appeal to the full appeals court or Supreme Court.

➤ A study of about 4,600 patients found that those taking glucosamine, a popular joint supplement, were 25 percent more likely to develop dementia. Researchers also said glucosamine may be linked to faster Alzheimer’s progression, but human clinical trials are needed to determine whether it actually contributes to the disease.

➤ A NASA-ISRO satellite captured a time-lapse showing lava spreading from Russia’s Krasheninnikov volcano in Kamchatka. The volcano erupted in 2025 for the first time in nearly 500 years.

On this day in history: On September 29th, 1780, an American military board condemned British Major John André to hang as a spy. Caught carrying Benedict Arnold's plans to surrender West Point, André was executed days later, and Arnold's name became a byword for treason.

SENTIMENT COLLECTION

Will humans set foot on Mars in your lifetime?

Yes

Unsure

Yesterday's Results:

Would you accept more hassle at airport security in exchange for safer flights?

Yes (50.5%)
No (40.8%)
Unsure (8.7%)

n=747

Have your own question you would like polled? Send it to us at editor@news.sofx.com or reply directly to this email.

70,000+ daily readers trust The SOFX Report for independent coverage of global conflict and defense technology. Over 11 years of consistent publication has built an engaged audience of defense professionals and decision-makers.

Interested in partnering with SOFX?

Was this Email Forwarded to You?

Subscribe!

About SOFX: We are an independent media and communications technology company reporting on the conflicts, security, and technology issues impacting your lives and businesses. SOFX was founded by former special operations & intelligence professionals, not career journalists or Big Tech / Big Media.

Have feedback for us? We want to hear any and all comments you may have. Contact us at editor@sofx.com.

This email was sent to Reader

You've received it because you've subscribed to The SOFX Report.

Unsubscribe or Update to Sunday Only