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The commercial seaport in Sochi, Russia (Credit: Marinodenisenko / Shutterstock.com)

SIGNIFICANT ACTIVITIES

Ukrainian Sea Drones Strike Russian Ship Nefrit in Russia’s Port City

Ukrainian naval drones attacked the Russian port city of Sochi on Thursday, with one USV striking the Russian support vessel Nefrit. Video released by the Ukrainian Navy shows smoke rising from the explosion following the attack.

The strike appears to be the first known Ukrainian USV attack on Sochi, a city frequently visited by Russian President Vladimir Putin. It came amid a broader Ukrainian drone campaign across Russia, including strikes in the Moscow region that damaged residential buildings and a factory. (Read More)

UN Report Says Foreign Weapons, Fighters Fuel Sudan War

A UN-backed mission says countries including the UAE, Colombia and Turkey are supplying weapons and fighters to both sides in Sudan’s war. The RSF reportedly received Chinese CH-95 drones, while the SAF received Turkish Bayraktar Akıncı drones, with both systems now being used in attacks.

The mission urged states to enforce the Darfur arms embargo and investigate foreign support networks. The UAE denied backing the RSF, while Colombia said it opposes mercenarism and is taking steps to address its nationals’ involvement in foreign conflicts. Turkey has yet to comment on the report. (Read More)

Russian General Accused of Ordering Children’s Hospital Strike in Kyiv Shot by Motorbike Gunman

Maj. Gen. Nikolai Varpakhovich, a Russian commander accused of ordering the 2024 missile strike on Kyiv’s Okhmatdyt children’s hospital, was shot by a gunman on a motorcycle in Russia’s Saratov region. He was injured and airlifted to Moscow for treatment.

No one has claimed responsibility for the shooting, but Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy appeared to hint at Ukrainian involvement in an address on Thursday. (Read More)

Your Inbox Is Spying on You. Here’s How to Stop It.

Every time you check your inbox, your behavior is logged, tracked, and sold. That “free” email account you rely on? It’s feeding the AI systems being trained to replace you. And once that data is out, there’s no getting it back.

Founded by veterans, our platform offers AI-free, privacy-assured communication managed by real humans, no data harvesting, no hidden tracking, no surveillance capitalism. Just tools designed with your digital autonomy in mind.

Our mission is clear: stop digital exploitation and restore your right to a private inbox.

With SOFX, your conversations stay between you and the person you’re speaking to. Not bots. Not marketers. Not machine-learning models.

Take Back Your Inbox →

QUICK UPDATES

CONFLICT UPDATES

➤ Iran says it launched missile and drone attacks on U.S. bases in Kuwait and the UAE, targeting communications systems, equipment depots, aircraft hangars and radar positions. Bahrain and Jordan also reported intercepting Iranian attacks a day earlier. (Read More)

➤ U.S. Marines boarded and sank a suspected cartel refueling vessel in the Eastern Pacific. U.S. Southern Command said the vessel was linked to Los Choneros, an Ecuadorian narco-terrorist group, and those aboard were safely transferred to Ecuadorian authorities. (Read More)

➤ Norway seized the Russian vessel Professor Molchanov off Svalbard to enforce a $4.22 billion compensation award granted to Ukrainian energy firm Naftogaz over Russia’s seizure of its Crimean assets. Russia called the seizure “piracy” and said it would challenge the action. (Read More)

SECURITY UPDATES

➤ Rome designated the Colosseum, Imperial Forums and Colle Oppio as a security “red zone,” giving police expanded powers to remove people considered dangerous. The order, prompted by robberies, assaults and drug activity around one of Italy’s busiest tourist districts, will remain in effect through Christmas. (Read More)

➤ The FBI is warning parents about a rise in online “sextortion,” in which predators pose as teenagers, gain victims’ trust and then threaten to release explicit images unless they pay money. Nearly nine in 10 reported victims are boys ages 14 to 17. (Read More)

➤ Thomson Reuters disclosed a breach of its C-Track court management system that may have exposed sensitive court data from 11 U.S. states, the U.S. Virgin Islands and Ontario, Canada. The stolen files may have included Social Security and driver’s license numbers, dates of birth, medical and insurance information, as well as confidential or sealed records. (Read More)

TECHNOLOGY UPDATES

➤ The German Navy successfully tested Israel Aerospace Industries’ Naval LORA ballistic missile from an operational vessel in the North Atlantic, hitting targets in two trial scenarios. Germany is now preparing to procure the missile, which has a reported range of over 311 miles. (Read More)

➤ The U.S. has approved a possible $800 million military sale to Iraq that includes Bell helicopters. The package also includes GAU-19 machine guns, M260 rocket launchers, electro-optical/infrared sensors and missile launch detection systems. (Read More)

➤ DARPA announced a second Lift Challenge for summer 2028. The competition will require small uncrewed aircraft systems weighing under 55 pounds to carry at least 220 pounds over a 10-nautical-mile course, double the distance and payload of the first challenge. (Read More)

The Cost of Free Email Is Everything

Your “free” email is costing you more than you think. It’s not just your inbox, it’s your location, your contacts, your calendar, your identity. Big Tech scans and stores everything, turning your private life into a product for advertisers and a resource for AI.

Designed by veterans who’ve defended the nation and now defend your data, SOFX is a privacy-first email platform. Our infrastructure is built from the ground up to reject surveillance and protect your right to communicate freely with encrypted email, secure scheduling, and human-run systems that never sell or share your data.

The surveillance economy depends on your inbox staying vulnerable. You don’t have to play along.

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SPECIAL CATEGORY

➤ The Pentagon has temporarily withdrawn its newly issued guidance requiring mandatory testosterone-deficiency screening for U.S. service members aged 30 and older, saying the document will be updated. The Pentagon said interim guidance remains in effect.

➤ Nvidia agreed to acquire Hugging Face for $13 billion, gaining an artificial-intelligence platform used by more than 18 million developers and researchers. Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang said Hugging Face will remain open and will not require Nvidia computing products.

➤ A study of more than 1 million people found that personality is shaped by a combination of genetics and the environment rather than being simply inherited. Genetics can predict up to about 13% of differences in personality, while environmental factors and life experiences play a much larger role, according to the study.

On this day in history: On September 4th, 1888, George Eastman patented his roll-film "Kodak" box camera and registered the name, swapping heavy glass plates for a preloaded, point-and-shoot device. Sold with the slogan "You press the button, we do the rest," it turned photography from a specialist's craft into a mass hobby.

SENTIMENT COLLECTION

Do you think Governments can really regulate AI?

Yes

Unsure

Yesterday's Results:

Should the federal government target scammers in foreign countries who are going after American citizens?

Yes (99.3%)
No (0.6%)
Unsure (0.1%)

n=828

Both polls were subscriber submitted, word for word. Have your own question you’d like polled? Email us at editor@sofx.com.

Every time you open your inbox, you're feeding the algorithms designed to automate, replace, and manipulate. That "free" email you’re using? It’s not free, it’s fueling a system built on your private data.

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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.

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