America and its allies have been releasing intel as a way of preempting Putin’s next move in Ukraine. The new twist is to release intel to let Vlad know just how bad things are going for him. In a matter of hours, those failures became the top stories on just about every site and broadcast, including BBC: Putin being misled by fearful advisers, US says.

+ It’s not just a war of words, there are images too. Here’s an interesting look at how the Pentagon partners with private satellite companies to share intel. TNR: Are These Satellite Images War Propaganda? “As a Maxar customer, the Department of Defense isn’t just a passive consumer of Maxar images; it is, in a way, a co-producer of those images.” Of course, if the information war isn’t backed up with weapons shipments, eventually Putin’s false impression will be accurate.

+ Things are already ugly enough. Ukraine: before and after the war – video.

+ “For weeks, a lone mobile base station allowed thousands in the besieged Ukrainian city to stay connected—until Russian troops arrived.” Wired: The Last Cell Tower in Mariupol. “Across Mariupol, the loss of communications means a shroud conceals what’s happening on the ground. People outside the city don’t know if their loved ones inside are alive; those still inside don’t know if it’s safe to try to escape the shelling.”

+ The villains get the coverage. But there are many everyday heroes. The people who keep the refugee trains running out of Ukraine. “Ukrainian Railways employs more than 230,000 people, and almost all its employees have stayed in the country to work, making long, dangerous journeys every day to get people to safety.”

+ People aren’t just leaving Ukraine. They’re leaving Russia, too. Politico Magazine: What I Heard From Passengers on the Last Train Out of Russia.