News
- A Molniya drone struck without any visible control antenna at all
- Only a camera and computer were found inside the recovered drone
- Ukraine believes navigation and targeting may now run without humans
A Russian Molniya drone recently struck a Ukrainian facility without a visible control antenna, and the strike appeared unusual to observers tracking the weapon's design.
The recovered drone carried only a camera and an onboard computer, a stripped configuration that suggests a move toward greater autonomy in strike sequences.
Radio technology specialist Serhii "Flash" Beskrestnov, an adviser to Ukraine's defence minister, said the finding points toward navigation and targeting functions operating without a human operator.
A familiar pattern from the V2U platformThe same onboard setup had previously appeared only on the V2U drone, a separate Russian platform used earlier in the conflict.
"The enemy is using the V2U platform to train its neural network," Beskrestnov wrote, adding that the repeated hardware marked a troubling development.
"The UAV had only a camera and a computer. This is where everything is heading. Navigation, target acquisition and the attack will become fully autonomous."
Ukraine's Defence Intelligence, through its War&Sanctions portal, already classifies the V2U as an AI-enabled loitering munition, though independent confirmation remains absent from other sources.
This overlap raises fresh questions about whether commercial processors, originally built for civilian robotics, are being repurposed for battlefield autonomy across programmes.
There are speculations that Russia's drone programme is drawing on Nvidia's Jetson Orin platform, a processor widely used in hobbyist and commercial drone projects for onboard image recognition.
That kind of chip could plausibly allow a drone to identify and track targets without needing constant external human guidance.
However, no independent laboratory analysis has publicly confirmed the specific chip inside the recovered Molniya drone.
That gap leaves the true source of the hardware unclear, and points to a wider question of how such components may be reaching Russian manufacturers at all.
COTS components complicate export controlsRussian reliance on commercial off-the-shelf, or COTS, hardware appears to expose a persistent gap in international sanctions enforcement efforts worldwide.
Such components are typically manufactured for civilian markets and often reach restricted buyers through intermediaries, complicating end-use verification across borders.
Once a chip like the Jetson Orin leaves its original supply chain, tracing its final destination becomes difficult for export control agencies to manage in practice.
Manufacturers rarely sell directly to sanctioned states, so a single chip can pass through several resellers before reaching its final buyer.
Each additional link in that chain makes it harder for regulators to know exactly where a processor ends up.
This loophole means sanctioned states can potentially acquire advanced processors meant for hobbyist or commercial use, then repurpose them for weapons development.
A chip designed for a drone hobbyist's camera rig can, in principle, end up guiding a loitering munition instead.
Closing that gap would likely require tighter monitoring of resellers and distributors rather than restrictions on the manufacturers themselves.
Export control regimes were largely built around large, traceable defence contracts rather than small consumer electronics shipments.
That mismatch leaves regulators several steps behind when commercial parts are diverted toward military applications.
Until distributors face stricter tracking requirements, similar hardware may keep surfacing in future weapons regardless of existing sanctions.
Via Ukrainska Pravda
- Navy orders first 50 Blackbeard hypersonic missiles for $23.4 million total
- Each Blackbeard missile reportedly costs under $300,000 once full production begins
- Castelion has received three separate Navy funding rounds since February 2026
A California defense startup is now selling hypersonic missiles priced like a luxury vehicle rather than a mansion, marking a shift in weapons pricing.
Castelion's Blackbeard missile travels in excess of Mach 5 and reportedly costs under $300,000 per completed round, a fraction of typical hypersonic pricing.
The pricing became real on June 16 2026, when the US Navy ordered the first 50 production rounds for $23.4 million.
The Navy's first real purchaseThe order also covers 50 shipping and storage containers, running primarily through Castelion's sprawling New Mexico factory campus.
It is the third Navy payment in five months, following $50 million in February to push Blackbeard from prototype toward operational use.
In April 2026, the Navy committed a further $105 million specifically to integrate Blackbeard onto the F/A-18 and to run the carrier-suitability testing required before any missile can operate safely from a carrier deck.
According to Bryon Hargis, CEO and co-founder of Castelion, the funding reflects the Navy's commitment to "advancing affordable, manufacturable long-range strike capability."
Castelion was founded by former SpaceX engineers and has already completed more than two dozen flight tests within three years.
One of those flight tests took place at the Army's Dugway Proving Ground in Utah during the latter part of 2025.
Castelion has also partnered with uncrewed-boat maker Saronic to demonstrate launching Blackbeard missiles from a robotic surface vessel at sea.
If testing continues to succeed, the eventual plan is to purchase Blackbeard missiles by the thousand rather than by the dozen.
In May 2026, the company signed a framework agreement with the Department of War covering multi-year production of roughly 500 weapons annually.
Cheaper parts from unrelated industriesThe affordability behind Blackbeard rests heavily on components borrowed from several industries far removed from traditional aerospace manufacturing methods and vendors.
Chief Operating Officer Sean Pitt said the company uses automotive-grade Field-Programmable Gate Arrays originally built for driver assistance systems and electric vehicles.
These automotive processors cost roughly one-tenth as much as aerospace equivalents and arrive about six times faster, Pitt said.
Castelion has also replaced aerospace-grade metal tubing with precision-machined tubes originally designed for fracking operations in the oil and gas sector.
These tubes withstand heat and pressure levels comparable to rocket motor requirements, yet come from many more vendors at lower prices.
Rival startup Anduril has adopted a similar approach, using pharmaceutical-industry mixing technology to process rocket motor propellant far faster than legacy methods.
Castelion, recently valued at nearly $3 billion, has secured Pentagon contracts covering more than 500 hypersonic weapons under current agreements.
Via Defense News
Amazon's Prime Day sale has delivered another very tempting robot vacuum deal, with the Dreame X50 Ultra dropping to just AU$1,479. That's a huge discount from its AU$2,999 launch price last year, and well below the usual AU$2,000 price we've seen it discounted to in recent months.
It isn't a budget buy, even at AU$1,479, but this is the lowest price we've seen for this robovac so far and, given it scored an impressive 4.5 stars in our Dreame X50 Ultra Complete review, we think it's worth considering at this price.
This is the Prime Day robot vacuum deal to check out if you want a premium cleaner that can handle vacuuming, mopping and most of its own maintenance. In our Dreame X50 Ultra Complete review, our reviewer praised its edge cleaning, smart design and hands-off dock.View Deal
Want a cheaper option? Take a look at the Dreame X40 Ultra for just AU$749 — another all time low price.
Or, take a look at our coverage of all the Prime Day Dreame deals available.
This isn't just another robot vacuum with a mop attached to the rear. The Dreame X50 Ultra is built to be a proper hands-off floor cleaner, with a self-emptying, self-refilling and self-cleaning dock, 20,000Pa suction, extendable mop pads and a side brush designed to reach into edges and corners.
In our review, the Dreame X50 Ultra was described as setting "a new standard" for the best robot vacuums, with the reviewer praising its cleaning results and low-maintenance design.
The model reviewed was the Complete version, which means it comes with an accessory bundle, but the core robovac and dock is the same X50 Ultra you'll find in this Amazon Prime Day deal.
(Image credit: Future)The X50 has a lot of clever features that make it more capable than previous models. Its navigation puck can retract so the robovac can clean under lower furniture, while its small threshold-hopping legs help it clear raised room dividers and other tricky transitions around the home.
Our review also highlights its mopping and vacuuming performance — especially its ability to make use of its extending side brush and mop pads.
(Image credit: Future)However, our reviewer found the X50 Ultra's object avoidance wasn't always as reliable as expected, and its pet-waste detection needed the right settings to work properly in testing. Despits these shortcomings, it still scored very well in our tests, which is saying something.
If you've been waiting for Dreame's top model to fall to a more tempting price, Prime Day has delivered exactly that.
More Amazon Prime Day deals in AustraliaYou might also like...A new NYT Connections puzzle appears at midnight each day for your time zone – which means that some people are always playing 'today's game' while others are playing 'yesterday's'. If you're looking for Saturday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Connections hints and answers for Saturday, July 11 (game #1126).
Good morning! Let's play Connections, the NYT's clever word game that challenges you to group answers in various categories. It can be tough, so read on if you need Connections hints.
What should you do once you've finished? Why, play some more word games of course. I've also got daily Strands hints and answers and Quordle hints and answers articles if you need help for those too, while Marc's Wordle today page covers the original viral word game.
SPOILER WARNING: Information about NYT Connections today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.
NYT Connections today (game #1127) - today's words(Image credit: New York Times)Today's NYT Connections words are…
- PARTY
- NERD
- MAD
- STONE
- DOT
- DEN
- PIP
- STUDY
- PHO
- SPREE
- SLEEP
- PIT
- RUNT
- SAC
- SEED
- REPEAT
What are some clues for today's NYT Connections groups?
- YELLOW: Vital part of plants
- GREEN: Singular confections
- BLUE: Campus motto
- PURPLE: City syllables
Need more clues?
We're firmly in spoiler territory now, but read on if you want to know what the four theme answers are for today's NYT Connections puzzles…
NYT Connections today (game #1127) - hint #2 - group answersWhat are the answers for today's NYT Connections groups?
- YELLOW: REPRODUCTIVE PART OF FRUIT
- GREEN: BIT OF FRUIT FLAVORED CANDY
- BLUE: VERBS IN A COLLEGE LIFE SLOGAN
- PURPLE: STARTS OF U.S. CAPITALS
Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.
NYT Connections today (game #1127) - the answers(Image credit: New York Times)The answers to today's Connections, game #1127, are…
- YELLOW: REPRODUCTIVE PART OF FRUIT: PIP, PIT, SEED, STONE
- GREEN: BIT OF FRUIT FLAVORED CANDY: DOT, NERD, RUNT, SPREE
- BLUE: VERBS IN A COLLEGE LIFE SLOGAN: PARTY, REPEAT, SLEEP, STUDY
- PURPLE: STARTS OF U.S. CAPITALS: DEN, MAD, PHO, SAC
- My rating: Hard
- My score: 2 mistakes
For anyone based outside of the US, like me in the UK, this game had an added layer of difficulty thanks to Connections’ fondness for candy brands and state capitals.
By now, of course, I should be fully aware of the many varieties of candies — some of which admittedly have travelled beyond the US to cause dental issues around the world — but compressed dextrose delight SPREE is not one I have heard of.
Somehow, though, I floundered my way through with just two mistakes.
Yesterday's NYT Connections answers (Saturday, July 11, 2026, game #1126)- YELLOW: CIRCUS EQUIPMENT: CANNON, STILTS, TRAPEZE, UNICYCLE
- GREEN: UNDISTURBED, AS WATER: CALM, FLAT, GLASSY, STILL
- BLUE: "TOY STORY" CHARACTERS: BO PEEP, JESSIE, SLINKY, WOODY
- PURPLE: DOUBLE LETTERS APPEARING IN THAT LETTER'S ALPHABETICAL:
- POSITION AARDVARK, BOCCE, EBBING, TWIDDLE
NYT Connections is one of several increasingly popular word games made by the New York Times. It challenges you to find groups of four items that share something in common, and each group has a different difficulty level: green is easy, yellow a little harder, blue often quite tough and purple usually very difficult.
On the plus side, you don't technically need to solve the final one, as you'll be able to answer that one by a process of elimination. What's more, you can make up to four mistakes, which gives you a little bit of breathing room.
It's a little more involved than something like Wordle, however, and there are plenty of opportunities for the game to trip you up with tricks. For instance, watch out for homophones and other word games that could disguise the answers.
It's playable for free via the NYT Games site on desktop or mobile.
A new Quordle puzzle appears at midnight each day for your time zone – which means that some people are always playing 'today's game' while others are playing 'yesterday's'. If you're looking for Saturday's puzzle instead then click here: Quordle hints and answers for Saturday, July 11 (game #1629).
Quordle was one of the original Wordle alternatives and is still going strong now more than 1,500 games later. It offers a genuine challenge, though, so read on if you need some Quordle hints today — or scroll down further for the answers.
Enjoy playing word games? You can also check out my NYT Connections today and NYT Strands today pages for hints and answers for those puzzles, while Marc's Wordle today column covers the original viral word game.
SPOILER WARNING: Information about Quordle today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.
Quordle today (game #1630) — hint #1 — VowelsHow many different vowels are in Quordle today?• The number of different vowels in Quordle today is 4*.
* Note that by vowel we mean the five standard vowels (A, E, I, O, U), not Y (which is sometimes counted as a vowel too).
Quordle today (game #1630) — hint #2 — repeated lettersDo any of today's Quordle answers contain repeated letters?• The number of Quordle answers containing a repeated letter today is 1.
Quordle today (game #1630) — hint #3 — uncommon lettersDo the letters Q, Z, X or J appear in Quordle today?• No. None of Q, Z, X or J appear among today's Quordle answers.
Quordle today (game #1630) — hint #4 — starting letters (1)Do any of today's Quordle puzzles start with the same letter?• The number of today's Quordle answers starting with the same letter is 0.
If you just want to know the answers at this stage, simply scroll down. If you're not ready yet then here's one more clue to make things a lot easier:
Quordle today (game #1630) — hint #5 — starting letters (2)What letters do today's Quordle answers start with?• S
• B
• L
• D
Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.
Quordle today (game #1630) — the answers(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)The answers to today's Quordle, game #1630, are…
- STAIN
- BINGO
- LARVA
- DICEY
There was only one word that contained two of the same letter — LARVA — and realizing that was a probability with L, A, and R in incorrect positions helped me finish without any stress.
That said, this was a particularly charmed game for me, with my starter words giving me two simple anagrams.
Hope it was easy like Sunday morning for you, too.
Daily Sequence today (game #1630) — the answers(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)The answers to today's Quordle Daily Sequence, game #1630, are…
- CLONE
- TROPE
- MEDAL
- SKIER
- Quordle #1629, Saturday, 11 July: WORTH, PRONG, DINGO, DRUID
- Quordle #1628, Friday, 10 July: GREET, STEAK, DUSKY, HAUTE
- Quordle #1627, Thursday, 9 July: CRUMP, PHONE, SHINY, STONY
- Quordle #1626, Wednesday, 8 July: GHOST, TREND, EXALT, ALONG
- Quordle #1625, Tuesday, 7 July: ARRAY, SUITE, KIOSK, BOULE
- Quordle #1624, Monday, 6 July: TRAWL, SPICE, PIANO, SHARK
- Quordle #1623, Sunday, 5 July: PINEY, SWOON, TITLE, PINTO
- Quordle #1622, Saturday, 4 July: ARGUE, MOTEL, OPERA, TRUCE
- Quordle #1621, Friday, 3 July: AVERT, MOTOR, MANIC, WORDY
- Quordle #1620, Thursday, 2 July: BULKY, PARSE, BELOW, MOVIE
- Quordle #1619, Wednesday, 1 July: EASEL, OTTER, LYRIC, SHACK
- Quordle #1618, Tuesday, 30 June: HALVE, DRYER, THERE, MINTY
- Quordle #1617, Monday, 29 June: SLURP, CRACK, CRANK, PHONY
- Quordle #1616, Sunday, 28 June: RUPEE, TOPAZ, FULLY, BEING
- Quordle #1615, Saturday, 27 June: PRINT, MARRY, SADLY, BICEP
- Quordle #1614, Friday, 26 June: JUICE, ARRAY, BONEY, SKIFF
- Quordle #1613, Thursday, 25 June: SHELF, TAWNY, HYPER, SOLVE
- Quordle #1612, Wednesday, 24 June: SOBER, ECLAT, GOOSE, NINNY
- Quordle #1611, Tuesday, 23 June: ARDOR, DADDY, SERVE, SHEAR
- Quordle #1610, Monday, 22 June: WAXEN, APNEA, CHIME, WAVER