UPDATE: Reports Ukrainian military repelled what was thought to be another Russian special forces unit on Peremohy (“victory”) Avenue. Casualties.

Updated map on Ukraine from #TheStudyofWar:

Photo of Kyiv from Reuters.

BREAKING: Ukraine’s leadership has rejected negotiations, Kremlin says.

BREAKING: Turkey has closed the Black Sea for Russian warships due to Putin’s aggression against Ukraine

UPDATE: “Turkey hasn’t made a decision to close the straits to Russian ships yet,” a senior Turkish official tells Ragip Soylu for the Middle East Eye. Ukraine’s President tweeted a message moments ago that indicated Turkey had, in fact, agreed to close the straits. This would be a major development.

Note: The Montreux Convention gives a clear right to Russians to return their ships to their original ports in Black Sea even in the time of war, and even if Moscow is the belligerent.

Russia is going soft on Ukraine. Look no further than the fact Ukrainians can still make phone calls and access the internet. That's a big risk for an invasion force. Russia possesses the capabilities to wipe out the civilian infrastructure in Ukraine. But yet they haven't.

The question, of course, is why? Why is Russia going easy? Is it because of military blunders or something different? Putin said his war was with the regime in Kyiv, not the people, and not even the Ukrainian military.

Americans’ understanding of Russia before Russia Gate was bad. But Americans’ understand after Russia Gate is far, far worse.

This is madness.

MIKE CERNOVICH: “Russia’s propaganda is making the war seem small. If they posted victory videos, it would backfire.

Ukraine’s storytelling is for movie fans, people who aren’t deep or serious, and who fall for disinformation.

Hard to say who is doing better propaganda. Different aims.”