Lots going on lately, but if this breaks through the noise that would be great—Former Daily Beast journalist Allison Quinn’s 8-year-old son Aedrik is in a fight for his life. If you can help, GoFundMe is here. Any sharing here or elsewhere appreciated. https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-allison-and-aedrik-fight-xlinked-adrenoleukodystrophy

Intelligence-gathering is ongoing, I'm told.

But for context—the Belarusian hacking group “Ghostwriter” hacked into other news sites in order to spread fake stories before, and we know the line between control in Belarus and Russia is blurrier than ever: https://www.thedailybeast.com/putins-favorite-ally-belarusian-leader-alexander-lukashenko-is-caving-in-to-the-kremlin

NEW: Hackers broke into a news service and spread a fake story of an assassination plot against the incoming pro-Russia president of Slovakia. An intelligence agency official tells me the op is likely Russian or done at Russia's behest. https://www.thedailybeast.com/news-agency-hack-spawns-fake-assassination-story-on-slovakian-president?ref=topic

New: A pro-Russia American that went to fight for Russia against Ukraine has been killed, according to his battalion, a local official, and other Russian reports. Russell Bentley, AKA "Texas," went missing earlier this month, his wife said. https://www.thedailybeast.com/pro-putin-american-russell-bentley-fighting-against-ukraine-has-been-killed?ref=author

Iran says it might revise its nuclear doctrine, threatening a break from the publicly stated peaceful objectives of its nuclear program.

Note: U.S. intelligence has warned that in the face of attacks Iran could enrich uranium up to 90%. https://www.thedailybeast.com/iran-issues-unprecedented-nuclear-doctrine-threat-in-duel-with-israel

Chaos erupted in Georgian parliament when a lawmaker punched an MP over a “foreign influence” bill—which critics say is part of a Russian "destabilization" op in Georgia. Thousands are protesting, with the cops using pepper spray, I'm told. https://www.thedailybeast.com/the-russian-threat-that-triggered-a-fistfight-in-georgian-parliament

Latest: A top US military commander, Kurilla, is in Israel as fears mount that the region could be on the brink of all-out war and Biden warns of a possible “significant” Iranian attack on Israel. Israel has promised to respond in kind. https://www.thedailybeast.com/iran-israel-blowup-has-white-house-racing-to-avert-all-out-war

New: Top Ukrainian officials hate Trump's reported plan for ending the war—it would have Kyiv cede land to Russia. Zelensky calls it a "primitive" idea. The official in charge of Crimea tells me it would only encourage Putin's aggression: https://www.thedailybeast.com/volodymyr-zelensky-slams-donald-trumps-primitive-plan-for-ending-war-in-ukraine

Some context: President Joe Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu discussed “a very public and very viable, real threat by Iran to Israel’s security” in a “direct” phone call on Thursday, the White House told reporters. https://www.thedailybeast.com/irans-retaliation-threat-sparks-panicked-preparations-in-israel

Israel is on “heightened” alert and boosting defenses after Tehran threatened retaliation for the strike that killed a top Iranian commander. It's canceling leave for IDF soldiers in combat units, drafting reservists, GPS jamming, and more. https://www.thedailybeast.com/irans-retaliation-threat-sparks-panicked-preparations-in-israel

Note: The White House expects to see changes from Israel “in the coming hours and days” on how it protects—or fails to protect—aid workers/civilians, and “if we don’t see changes from their side there will have to be changes on our side,” John Kirby said. https://www.thedailybeast.com/joe-biden-threatened-benjamin-netanyahu-in-call-about-gaza-white-house-says

NEW: Biden just told Netanyahu US policy on Gaza will depend on an assessment of Israel taking immediate action on implementing "a series of specific, concrete, and measurable steps to address civilian harm, humanitarian suffering, and the safety of aid workers," per WH readout. https://www.thedailybeast.com/joe-biden-threatened-benjamin-netanyahu-in-call-about-gaza-white-house-says

A top Kosovo official told me previously of their concerns that Serbia seeks to instigate violence and destabilize the region, with Russia fanning the flames behind the scenes to prevent Balkan integration with the west: https://www.thedailybeast.com/how-russian-influence-is-risking-war-between-serbia-and-kosovo

Of course, Vucic's comments are vague and raise questions of if they reflect tensions with Kosovo. Serbs attacked north Kosovo last year, and though Serbia eventually pulled back a troop buildup there, Kosovo continues to warn of Serbia's potential for military escalation...

It’s not clear what impact any of Vucic’s statements will have for Bosnia and Herzegovina and Republika Srpska, though. “Vucic thinks of Dodik as a liability,” a U.S. official told me.

Dodik/Vucic met today, with Vucic noting they will make “a number of important and beneficial decisions for our people.” The US intelligence community has assessed Dodik’s secession threats may lead to “violent conflicts” as the region faces a growing risk of ethnic violence.

Vucic's cryptic comment about a threat to Serbia/Repulika Srpska (“We will fight. Serbia will win”) comes as he meets with Republika Srpska's leader Dodik, who has called for unification with Serbia/secession from Bosnia and Herzegovina. https://www.thedailybeast.com/serbian-presidents-alarming-social-media-warning-stirs-mystery-in-europe

And the State Department is warning through the U.S. Embassy in Paris about travel in France and the security alert: “Visitors to congested and popular tourist areas should be particularly attentive to their surroundings.”

The United States does not currently see a “credible threat” from ISIS to the U.S., but it is still monitoring ISIS "very, very closely," John Kirby, the White House National Security Council’s Communications Adviser, told reporters in a call on Monday.

Although ISIS lost its base in Iraq and Syria years ago, it has increasingly relied upon regional branches, such as ISIS-K, to plot attacks against the west/western interests, per U.S. intelligence. A recent U.S. intelligence report assessed that ISIS “regional affiliates will continue to expand.”