Stan R. Mitchell's Blog, page 13

Podcast Episode 8-31-23.

Welcome to The View from the Front. My name is Stan and this is the Aug. 31st edition. 

If you just happened to stumble by, let me say a quick word about what we’re doing here.

Subscribe now

For those who don’t know, my name is Stan R. Mitchell, and I’m a prior Marine and journalist.

Every week, I primarily do three things with my podcast:

Cover emerging hotspots and foreign policy news that you absolutely should know. (Why I focus on foreign policy...)

Work to unite our country and remind us of how lucky we are to live in America. (My thoughts on the division in this country...)

And finally, I always share plenty of motivation and wisdom at the end of each episode.

Take a listen to the podcast. I really hope you get something out of it.

Please note: There is an un-edited, AI-generated transcript, that you can find by clicking the Transcript button at upper right, under the podcast player device.

Timestamp: 1:00:39 seconds. Motivation and wisdom section.

Source notes:

Is Russia in more trouble in Ukraine than most people know? And could time actually be on Ukraine's side? Plus, six interesting things worth pointing out.

Opinion: Ukraine is crossing Russia’s ‘red lines’ with impunity. It’s a lesson for Biden.

It seems hard to remember now, but at the beginning of this conflict, the West — and the White House, in particular — was desperately worried that attacks inside Russia would cross a “red line” that would lead Russian President Vladimir Putin to dramatically up the ante, perhaps even to employ nuclear weapons. More recent experience suggests that, for all his bluster, Putin is rational enough not to escalate a limited war that he is already losing into a wider war with NATO that he cannot possibly win.

China hoped Fiji would be a template for the Pacific. Its plan backfired.

How to Address the Racism at the Heart of Japan-South Korea Tensions

Statement from Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III on United States Trilateral Summit with Japan and the Republic of Korea

US Marines identify 3 killed in Osprey aircraft crash in Australia

Ospreys are safer than you think (story halfway down page).

Terrorist groups are expanding in Mali as peacekeepers leave, U.N. experts warn

That’s it for this edition.

As a reminder, please be kind and try your best to love your fellow Americans.

So many men and women have sacrificed, fought, and died to keep this country together the past 240-plus years. Please work daily to unite our country again. The vast majority of Americans are decent, loving, great people.

Also, please try to be a better person each and every day. Try to be kinder on social media and how you interact with others with whom you disagree.

Please join me again in our next episode, and please stay safe until then.

And with that, I’m out.

The View from the Front by Stan R. Mitchell is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Love and peace,

Stan R. Mitchell

Don’t forget: You can comment anytime, and I’ll answer quickly! You can also reach out privately at: authorstanrmitchell@yahoo.com. (You can say “hi,” vent, or send news tips! I love all three of those things!)

P.S. Don’t forget to check out my books. I’ve written a CIA/Marine sniper series, a detective series, a private investigator series, an action-packed Western, a motivational self-help book about President Obama, and two realistic war novels: one about World War II and one about Afghanistan. You can find all of these books on Amazon.

Want to know more about me? Click here: About me. You can also learn more about my journey here: Writers are crazy, and I’m crazier than most.

Is Russia in more trouble in Ukraine than most people know? And could time actually be on Ukraine's side?

Hello, my friends!

I wanted to send you the latest news about the Ukrainian counteroffensive.

As a reminder, I will likely send out additional updates, as major breakthroughs or big news happens. (I will also do that for any big news happening regarding China, Iran, etc.)

I will make all of these FREE, so please feel free to share.

Also, if you can you support the show by becoming a paid subscriber, that will allow me to devote more time and resources to what I’m trying to do here.

You can sign up for free or as a paid subscriber at the blue button/link below.

Subscribe now

You can also now sign up at Patreon or send a tip through Venmo (@authorstanrmitchell).

Thanks!

Russia and Ukraine news:

There’s been a TON of things happening in Ukraine since my Thursday podcast.

If you missed the Thursday podcast, it’s probably worth getting caught up to date with where things are if you have the opportunity to.

During it, I discuss some good things that have happened in Ukraine’s favor:

Timestamp: 17:29. Ukraine destroys a S-400, one of Russia’s premiere air defense systems.

Timestamp: 22:50. Russian helicopter pilot defects with helicopter AND spare jet parts.

Timestamp: 24:26. Ukraine drone strike reportedly destroys Russian supersonic bomber.

And then most importantly, I share three perspectives of the counteroffensive: the pessimistic view, the optimistic view, and then the middle-of-the-road view by General Mark Hertling. (Timestamps are availabe for these, as well, if you want to jump to them.)

You can find that entire episode here (and below): Podcast Episode 8-24-23.

But back to the point, a lot has happened since Thursday.

I’m going to share one big thing, and then six additional points.

First, there was this impressive Washington Post column that dropped on Friday. Honestly, up until this point, analysts had been pretty divided. Many negative on the counter-offensive, many still positive.

But the column by retired U.S. Army general David Petraeus (the former commander of the troop surge in Iraq, as well as commander of U.S. Central Command and NATO/U.S. Forces in Afghanistan) seemed to shift public opinion.

There was a ton of discussion regarding his column. (Though in fairness, he co-authored it with Frederick W. Kagan, a senior fellow and director of the Critical Threats Project at the American Enterprise Institute.)

The column was titled Ukraine’s counteroffensive might yet surprise critics, and it was really something else.

Full disclosure before we begin: The column follows my stated optimism
that the counteroffensive will succeed, something I’ve been saying
since at least March or April of this year. So I am VERY biased in the direction
of success as described in this column below. Just wanted
to give you a heads up on that if you’re one of the new subscribers.

Petraeus and Kagan set up the column with this important caveat:

War does not proceed in a linear fashion. Defenders can hold for a long time and then suddenly break, allowing an attacker to make rapid gains before the defense solidifies further to the rear. The Ukrainians aim to generate exactly this effect — and there is reason to think they can. Ukraine’s offensive push is far from over. In fact, it is still in the early stages — just 10 weeks into what is likely to last at least four more months.

So, they make the important point that things can suddenly change and that we’re only 10 weeks into something that will last four more months.

But they reach the true meat of their argument with these paragraphs, which are absolutely worth the read (maps below, if you want to look at the areas they mention):

Ukrainian forces are advancing in two key areas — in central Zaporizhzhia Oblast near Robotyne on the road to Tokmak and Melitopol, and in eastern Zaporizhzhia Oblast south of Velyka Novosylka on a line toward Berdyansk. The Ukrainians appear to have penetrated at least the forward-most belt of Russian mines and defenses in both areas, and their advance in the Robotyne area appears to be accelerating. They have also taken back some significant ground around Bakhmut, which is the only town Russia was able to capture during its own costly offensive last winter.

Ukraine’s incremental gains are part of a larger effort that British Chief of Defense Staff Adm. Tony Radakin termed “starve, stretch and strike.” Ukrainian forces are stretching Russian defenses by attacking at multiple points along the 600-mile front. They are also attriting assets in Russian-occupied territory, taking out artillery units, headquarters and reserve force staging areas, as well as targeting key supply depots and routes to make it more difficult for Russia to sustain its defense. To put it simply, Ukraine is applying pressure on their opponent until something breaks, at which point they will commit their reserves and strike.

Russian front-line forces are likely tired, if not exhausted. Some have been defending since at least the start of the counteroffensive on June 4, and many of them have been in place for much longer than that. Fresh units have not been rotated in. It is also unclear how heavily mined or manned Russia’s secondary defensive lines are, but there is good reason to doubt that the Russians have large numbers of high-quality soldiers holding them. Most important, Russia lacks large operational reserves. This means that any Ukrainian breach of existing lines will be difficult to quickly plug.

Here are the latest maps on these advances (from left to right: Tokmak advance, Berdyansk advance, and Bakhmut encirclement).

Full-size images link

I want to point out six, additional interesting things.

Ukrainian forces believe they have broken through the most difficult line of Russian defenses in the south and will now be able to advance more quickly. (Even General Milley, who’s been a skeptic of potential success, agrees.)

Ukraine doesn’t have to take the entire “land bridge” in the south. It only has to advance approximately 7-10 km more to put Russia's east-west supply routes in HIMARS/MLRS range (see link and first comment below post).

Even almost two weeks ago (on Aug. 18), a Russian commander was panicking, suggesting Russia freeze the war in Ukraine along the current frontlines, which the ISW assessed would only benefit Russia.

I think you overlooked the significance of point 2 above. Ukraine can almost cut the entire land bridge already, and Russia’s Navy is practically non-existent around Ukraine now (trapped inside ports). Russia will be down to a single bridge that’s been targeted multiple times and a land route that will be constantly targeted by artillery fire; and they will have to deal with this in winter. Longer argument on that here.

The Russians are desperate to stop these advances, committing valuable reserves from their best — and most rested — forces.

I think the Ukrainians are getting better, with every passing day. Watch this miracle of artillery use. Multiple shots; anticipation of where shots would be needed, pin-point accuracy thanks to Western assistance. (Remember: artillery shells often take up to 30 seconds from being fired to arrival.)

Hope you enjoyed the piece today. If you have any questions or counter-points, drop them in the comments. And don’t forget, the piece is free to read, so share with anyone you think would enjoy reading it.

The View from the Front by Stan R. Mitchell is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Love and peace,

Stan R. Mitchell

P.S. Don’t forget to check out my books. I’ve written 11 of them, including: a CIA/Marine sniper series, a detective series, a private investigator series, an action-packed Western, a motivational self-help book about President Obama, and two realistic war novels: one about World War II and one about Afghanistan. You can find all of these books on Amazon.

Want to know more about me? Click here: About me. You can also learn more about my journey here: Writers are crazy, and I’m crazier than most.

Podcast Episode 8-24-23.

Welcome to The View from the Front. My name is Stan and this is the Aug. 24th edition. 

If you just happened to stumble by, let me say a quick word about what we’re doing here.

Subscribe now

For those who don’t know, my name is Stan R. Mitchell, and I’m a prior Marine and journalist.

Every week, I primarily do three things with my podcast:

Cover emerging hotspots and foreign policy news that you absolutely should know. (Why I focus on foreign policy...)

Work to unite our country and remind us of how lucky we are to live in America. (My thoughts on the division in this country...)

And finally, I always share plenty of motivation and wisdom at the end of each episode.

Take a listen to the podcast. I really hope you get something out of it.

Timestamps:

Timestamp: 12:07. Russia's most powerful mercenary Yevgeny Prigozhin was listed as having been on board a plane that crashed in Russia. I share the latest of what’s known about it as of Wendesday evening, 8/23/23.

Timestamp: 15:02. Ukraine will finally get the F-16s that they have wanted.

Timestamp: 17:29. Ukraine destroys a S-400, one of Russia’s premiere air defense systems.

Timestamp: 22:50. Russian helicopter pilot defects with helicopter AND spare jet parts.

Timestamp: 24:26. Ukraine drone strike reportedly destroys Russian supersonic bomber.

Timestamp: 28:01. The great debate. What is going on with Ukraine’s counteroffensive? Is it stuck and mired down? Or is it about to pay off? Two competing views

Timestamp: 37:15. General Mark Hertling’s views of the counter-offensive, and a small prediction from him.

Timestamp: 42:49. Why a peace deal with Russia is just a really bad idea right now.

Timestamp: 46:16. Debunking 10 of the most common myths about America’s financial support for Ukraine.

Timestamp: 52:07. Motivation and wisdom, just for you.

Source notes:

Podcast link: S400 destroyed; audio from The Telegraph’s Ukraine: The Latest podcast.

Russian military pilot reportedly defects to Ukraine with helicopter.

Ukraine drone strike reportedly destroys Russian supersonic bomber.

Ukraine’s hopes for maximal victory look remote.

The counterview of the offensive that I quote from (by Jonathan Sweet and Mark Toth).

Russia’s central bank raises interest rates to 12% after the ruble plunges.

General Hertling’s thread on Twitter that I quote from.

That’s it for this edition.

As a reminder, please be kind and try your best to love your fellow Americans.

So many men and women have sacrificed, fought, and died to keep this country together the past 240-plus years. Please work daily to unite our country again. The vast majority of Americans are decent, loving, great people.

Also, please try to be a better person each and every day. Try to be kinder on social media and how you interact with others with whom you disagree.

Please join me again in our next episode, and please stay safe until then.

And with that, I’m out.

The View from the Front by Stan R. Mitchell is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Love and peace,

Stan R. Mitchell

Don’t forget: You can comment anytime, and I’ll answer quickly! You can also reach out privately at: authorstanrmitchell@yahoo.com. (You can say “hi,” vent, or send news tips! I love all three of those things!)

P.S. Don’t forget to check out my books. I’ve written a CIA/Marine sniper series, a detective series, a private investigator series, an action-packed Western, a motivational self-help book about President Obama, and two realistic war novels: one about World War II and one about Afghanistan. You can find all of these books on Amazon.

Want to know more about me? Click here: About me. You can also learn more about my journey here: Writers are crazy, and I’m crazier than most.

Podcast Episode 8-17-23. The latest on the Ukrainian counter-offensive, plus some deep insight from one of Ukraine's most renowned reporters

Welcome to The View from the Front. My name is Stan and this is the Aug 17th edition. 

Timestamps:

Timestamp: 4:19. The latest on Ukraine’s counteroffensive across the front.

Timestamp: 10:33. Insights and updates on the war from renowned reporter Christopher Miller.

Timestamp: 27:40. The motivation and wisdom section.

If you just happened to stumble by, let me say a quick word about what we’re doing here.

Subscribe now

For those who don’t know, my name is Stan R. Mitchell, and I’m a prior Marine and journalist.

Every week, I primarily do three things with my podcast:

Cover emerging hotspots and foreign policy news that you absolutely should know. (Why I focus on foreign policy...)

Work to unite our country and remind us of how lucky we are to live in America. (My thoughts on the division in this country...)

And finally, I always share plenty of motivation and wisdom at the end of each episode.

Take a listen to the podcast. I really hope you get something out of it.

Previous newsletter from Monday for those who missed it: Ukrainian counteroffensive achieves ‘tactically significant’ progress in its counteroffensive

The latest maps that I reference regarding the counter-offensive, all from the non-profit Institute for the Study of War.

That’s it for this edition.

As a reminder, please be kind and try your best to love your fellow Americans.

So many men and women have sacrificed, fought, and died to keep this country together the past 240-plus years. Please work daily to unite our country again. The vast majority of Americans are decent, loving, great people.

Also, please try to be a better person each and every day. Try to be kinder on social media and how you interact with others with whom you disagree.

Please join me again in our next episode, and please stay safe until then.

And with that, I’m out.

The View from the Front by Stan R. Mitchell is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Love and peace,

Stan R. Mitchell

Don’t forget: You can comment anytime, and I’ll answer quickly! You can also reach out privately at: authorstanrmitchell@yahoo.com. (You can say “hi,” vent, or send news tips! I love all three of those things!)

P.S. Don’t forget to check out my books. I’ve written a CIA/Marine sniper series, a detective series, a private investigator series, an action-packed Western, a motivational self-help book about President Obama, and two realistic war novels: one about World War II and one about Afghanistan. You can find all of these books on Amazon.

Want to know more about me? Click here: About me. You can also learn more about my journey here: Writers are crazy, and I’m crazier than most.

Ukrainian counteroffensive achieves ‘tactically significant’ progress in its counteroffensive

Hello, my friends!

I wanted to send you the latest news about the Ukrainian counteroffensive.

As a reminder, I will likely send out additional updates as big things happen.

I will make all of these FREE, so please feel free to share.

Also, if you can you support the show by becoming a paid subscriber, that will allow me to devote more time and resources to what I’m trying to do here.

You can sign up for free or as a paid subscriber at the blue button/link below.

Subscribe now

You can also now sign up at Patreon or send a tip through Venmo (@authorstanrmitchell).

Thanks!

Ukrainian counteroffensive achieves ‘tactically significant’ progress in its counteroffensive:

After weeks of limited progress, Ukraine has finally punched through some of the Russian lines.

The Institute for the Study of War stated that at least two sectors of the front are showing some changes from these attacks.

Ukraine has advanced in the western Donetsk and eastern Zaporizhia area, as well as western Zaporizhia Oblast. (They’ve also made some move in the south, near Kherson and the Crimean Peninsula.)

But first, the maps:

The New York Times shared the following write up about the advances: Ukraine makes ‘tactically significant’ progress in its counteroffensive

Also, the UK’s Defense Intelligence agency noted that the operations happening near Kherson and the Crimean Peninsula are testing Russia’s capabilities, and beginning to yield real gains.

I will share more as it becomes clearer.

But I’ll leave you with three videos, which I think help capture what’s happening!

First, a WHOLE lotta Russians running for their lives.

Second, Russian artillery is being absolutely decimated. I mentioned in Thursday’s podcast, and the previous one, that Ukraine had been gaining advantages in the artillery duels happening. Below, you can see four Russian artillery pieces — their self-propelled ones, which are the most valuable — smoked in about three seconds.

Finally, take a look at the HORRIBLE state of the Russian troops.

These wounded soldiers are 33 and 50. They have kids and families. They received less than one week of training, firing blanks and a few live rounds. And then were sent on the front line to be cannon fodder.

Let’s keep our fingers crossed that bigger gains are made soon.

As the past few podcasts have implied, western intelligence officials are concerned about the possibilities of success for Ukraine. But I continue to believe — even after all this bad news the past couple of months about stalled attempts to break through — that Ukraine will succceed.

I still think the Russian Army will break and flee, and I think we’re almost there.

More to come! Thank you for all your support! (Reminder: this is FREE to view, so please feel free to share.)

The View from the Front by Stan R. Mitchell is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Love and peace,

Stan R. Mitchell

P.S. Don’t forget to check out my books. I’ve written 11 of them, including: a CIA/Marine sniper series, a detective series, a private investigator series, an action-packed Western, a motivational self-help book about President Obama, and two realistic war novels: one about World War II and one about Afghanistan. You can find all of these books on Amazon.

Want to know more about me? Click here: About me. You can also learn more about my journey here: Writers are crazy, and I’m crazier than most.

Podcast Episode 8-10-23. The Ukrainian offensive turns to a ferocious slog. American troops deploy closer to Iran. And China tests a neighboring country. Plus plenty of motivation and wisdom!

Welcome to The View from the Front. My name is Stan and this is the August 10th edition. 

Today, we are talking about several topics that I think will interest you!

We’ve been exploring what exactly is happening with the Ukrainian offensive. Last week, we explored four possibilities. And this week, there’s been some new information that’s come out that I want to cover. I think you’ll find this new information really interesting, to say the least.

I’ll also talk about the Ukraine war from a strategic level some, as well. Because that also matters.

And then I’ll flip it and look at it a moment from the Russian side or perspective.

We’ll talk about an incident that happened between China and the Philippines.

And then we’ll move to our own military.

There are three really important things going on with our military this week, including the deployment of Marines off the coast of Iran. Something you definitely need to hear about.

Finally, at the end, we’ll cover some motivation and wisdom as always. And I’ll do make sure we have timestamps included, so you can jump to certain sections or tell your friends about parts they really need to listen to.

Timestamps:

Timestamp: 2:52. The latest possibilities on what’s really going on with Ukraine’s counteroffensive.

Timestamp: 18:48. Three positive things that have happened that has to have Vladimir Putin worried.

Timestamp: 23:53. A look at the Russian invasion from the strategic perspective. What is probably going through Putin’s mind right now?

Timestamp: 30:29. China again tries to intimidate a neighbor. This isn’t just about the U.S. and China out in the Pacific.

Timestamp: 33:41. There are three really important things going on with our military this week, including the deployment of Marines off the coast of Iran. Something you definitely need to hear about.

Timestamp: 45:37. Motivation and wisdom, just for you.

If you just happened to stumble by, let me say a quick word about what we’re doing here.

Subscribe now

For those who don’t know, my name is Stan R. Mitchell, and I’m a prior Marine and journalist.

Every week, I primarily do three things with my podcast:

Cover emerging hotspots and foreign policy news that you absolutely should know. (Why I focus on foreign policy...)

Work to unite our country and remind us of how lucky we are to live in America. (My thoughts on the division in this country...)

And finally, I always share plenty of motivation and wisdom at the end of each episode.

Take a listen to the podcast. I really hope you get something out of it.

Source notes: Ukraine's war of attrition can break Russia—and it won't take years ‘It’s Not a Sprint,’ Ukraine’s Marines Insist. ‘It’s a Marathon.’Western allies receive increasingly ‘sobering’ updates on Ukraine’s counteroffensive: ‘This is the most difficult time of the war’

Bridge attack links:

https://www.threads.net/@kyivindependent_official/post/CvoLGAAMNOK/?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

https://www.threads.net/@thestudyofwar/post/CvoGbJVsJZd/?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

David Ignatius column: Putin chokes on the Ukrainian ‘porcupine’China ship incident with Philippines:

https://www.threads.net/@aljazeeraenglish/post/Cvop-OSgu1H/?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

Military news about American forces. The USS Bataan and the USS Carter Hall sail on the Mediterranean Sea, Aug. 3, 2023. They arrived in the Middle East three days later. The Bataan is a Wasp-class amphibious assault ship; the Carter Hall is a Harpers Ferry-class dock landing ship. U.S. Forces Arrive to Support Deterrence Efforts at Strait of Hormuz U.S. moves to put Marines on commercial ships to stop Iranian seizuresU.S.-Iraq work on security cooperation

That’s it for this edition.

As a reminder, please be kind and try your best to love your fellow Americans.

So many men and women have sacrificed, fought, and died to keep this country together the past 240-plus years. Please work daily to unite our country again. The vast majority of Americans are decent, loving, great people.

Also, please try to be a better person each and every day. Try to be kinder on social media and how you interact with others with whom you disagree.

Please join me again in our next episode, and please stay safe until then.

And with that, I’m out.

The View from the Front by Stan R. Mitchell is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Love and peace,

Stan R. Mitchell

Don’t forget: You can comment anytime, and I’ll answer quickly! You can also reach out privately at: authorstanrmitchell@yahoo.com. (You can say “hi,” vent, or send news tips! I love all three of those things!)

P.S. Don’t forget to check out my books. I’ve written a CIA/Marine sniper series, a detective series, a private investigator series, an action-packed Western, a motivational self-help book about President Obama, and two realistic war novels: one about World War II and one about Afghanistan. You can find all of these books on Amazon.

Want to know more about me? Click here: About me. You can also learn more about my journey here: Writers are crazy, and I’m crazier than most.

Podcast Episode 8-3-23. What is going on with the Ukrainian counteroffensive that was hyped last week? Four possibilities.

Welcome to The View from the Front. My name is Stan and this is the August 3rd edition. 

Today, we are talking about what is going on with the Ukrainian counteroffensive that was hyped last week, which obviously didn’t happen. I’ll share four possibilities. Plus, we’ll talk about the situation in Israel.

We’ll also have a:

Segment on bipartisanship/America working/good news.

And a segment in which we highlight a U.S. military unit that’s serving (or has served) somewhere in the world.

And of course, we’ll cover some motivation and wisdom at the end.

Timestamps:

Timestamp: 3:02. The latest on Ukraine’s counteroffensive.

Timestamp: 9:28. So if no massive Ukrainian breakthrough didn’t happen, what exactly happened here?

Timestamp: 35:11. The staggering descent and out-of-control spiral that Israel is on, and what that’s doing for U.S. support for this small Middle Eastern country.

Timestamp: 41:16. Highlighting just a few members and units of our U.S. military.

Timestamp: 46:30. Some good news for the week! The story of two strangers. How a super conservative man and super liberal man struck up a conversation and created a friendship.

Timestamp: 56:30. Motivation and wisdom, just for you.

If you just happened to stumble by, let me say a quick word about what we’re doing here.

Subscribe now

For those who don’t know, my name is Stan R. Mitchell, and I’m a prior Marine and journalist.

Every week, I primarily do three things with my podcast:

Cover emerging hotspots and foreign policy news that you absolutely should know. (Why I focus on foreign policy...)

Work to unite our country and remind us of how lucky we are to live in America. (My thoughts on the division in this country...)

And finally, I always share plenty of motivation and wisdom at the end of each episode.

Take a listen to the podcast. I really hope you get something out of it.

Source notes:

“We had not seen any evidence of a battalion-level attack and certainly no brigade-level attacks. If the Ukrainians are indeed committing full battalions and brigades now as reported, that would mark a clear new phase of the Ukrainian counteroffensive.” George Barros of the Institute for the Study of War – a Washington-based group – told CNN.

Source notes regarding a potential stalemate.

Video damage to Chongar Bridge (must view on phone since links are from Facebook/Meta Threads.)

https://www.threads.net/@nafo_fella_woopinx/post/CvWKVioq5Kg/?igshid=OGQ5ZDc2ODk2ZA== 

https://www.threads.net/@nafo_fella_woopinx/post/CvWKVioq5Kg/?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

Column mentioned: I don’t recognize the intolerant, illiberal country Israel is becoming. (By Max Boot.)

DOD photos from select units for this week’s show. Sailors assigned to the USS Gerald R. Ford transport an E/A-18G Growler on the flight deck in the Adriatic Sea, July 16, 2023. Photo By: Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Nolan Pennington The fleet replenishment oiler USNS Yukon sails alongside the amphibious assault carrier USS America during a replenishment while underway in the Coral Sea, July 18, 2023. America, the lead ship of the America Amphibious Ready Group, is operating in the U.S. 7th Fleet area of operations. Photo By: Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Matthew Bakerian Air Force Master Sgt. Ryan Gregory inspects a KC-10 Extender during preflight checks at Prince Sultan Air Base, Saudi Arabia, July 6, 2023. Photo By: Air Force Senior Airman Jacob Cabanero An Air Force F-15E Strike Eagle sits on the flight line during Northern Edge in Iwo To, Japan, July 10, 2023. The exercise is designed to enhance agility and build interoperability with allies and partners. Photo By: Air Force Airman 1st Class Alexandria Byrd

That’s it for this edition.

As a reminder, please be kind and try your best to love your fellow Americans.

So many men and women have sacrificed, fought, and died to keep this country together the past 240-plus years. Please work daily to unite our country again. The vast majority of Americans are decent, loving, great people.

Also, please try to be a better person each and every day. Try to be kinder on social media and how you interact with others with whom you disagree.

Please join me again in our next episode, and please stay safe until then.

And with that, I’m out.

The View from the Front by Stan R. Mitchell is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Love and peace,

Stan R. Mitchell

Don’t forget: You can comment anytime, and I’ll answer quickly! You can also reach out privately at: authorstanrmitchell@yahoo.com. (You can say “hi,” vent, or send news tips! I love all three of those things!)

P.S. Don’t forget to check out my books. I’ve written a CIA/Marine sniper series, a detective series, a private investigator series, an action-packed Western, a motivational self-help book about President Obama, and two realistic war novels: one about World War II and one about Afghanistan. You can find all of these books on Amazon.

Want to know more about me? Click here: About me. You can also learn more about my journey here: Writers are crazy, and I’m crazier than most.

Podcast Episode 7-27-23. Has Ukraine broken through? What's the latest on our re-alignment toward China? And is there a chance Putin uses a nuke as a final, desperate move?

If you just happened to stumble by, let me say a quick word about what we’re doing here.

Subscribe now

For those who don’t know, my name is Stan R. Mitchell, and I’m a prior Marine and journalist.

Every week, I primarily do three things with my podcast:

Cover emerging hotspots and foreign policy news that you absolutely should know. (Why I focus on foreign policy...)

Work to unite our country and remind us of how lucky we are to live in America. (My thoughts on the division in this country...)

And finally, I always share plenty of motivation and wisdom at the end of each episode.

Take a listen to the podcast. I really hope you get something out of it.

Source notes to podcast: Links to other news stories:

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un meets with Russian defense minister on military cooperation

NATO will step up security in Black Sea region after Russia declares parts are unsafe for shipping

Iran gives ‘detailed answers’ to UN inspectors over 2 sites where manmade uranium particles found

Russian fighter jet strikes another American drone over Syria in the sixth incident this month

DOD photos from this week’s show. Course Complete: A U.S. Air Force Academy cadet completes an assault course at the academy in Colorado Springs, Colo., July 18, 2023. Photo By: Rayna Grace, Air Force Contingency Response: Air Force Senior Airman Kaitlyn Rollins prepares to load cargo aboard a C-17 Globemaster III aircraft at Wunstorf Air Base, Wunstorf, Germany, June 27, 2023, during exercise Air Defender 2023. The exercise integrates both U.S. and allied air-power to defend shared values, while leveraging and strengthening vital partnerships to deter aggression around the world. Photo By: Air Force Staff Sgt. Jared Bounds

Green Scene: Marines participate in vessel boarding training aboard the USS Lewis B. Puller in the Gulf of Oman, July 17, 2023. Photo By: Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Elliot Schaudt

Mediterranean Ops. The guided missile destroyer USS Paul Ignatius sails behind the Italian navy ship ITS Viareggio during an anti-mine exercise in the Mediterranean Sea, July 11, 2023. Ignatius is on a scheduled deployment in the U.S. Naval Forces Europe area of operations, employed by the U.S. Sixth Fleet to defend U.S., allied and partner interests. Photo By: Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Zac Shea

Maritime Ops: Sailors and civil service mariners prepare to launch a Wave Glider unmanned surface vessel from the USNS Burlington in the Caribbean Sea, June 30, 2023, during UNITAS, the world’s longest-running annual multinational maritime exercise. Photo By: Navy Chief Petty Officer Stacy Atkinsricks

That’s it for this edition.

As a reminder, please be kind and try your best to love your fellow Americans.

So many men and women have sacrificed, fought, and died to keep this country together the past 240-plus years. Please work daily to unite our country again. The vast majority of Americans are decent, loving, great people.

Also, please try to be a better person each and every day. Try to be kinder on social media and how you interact with others with whom you disagree.

Please join me again in our next episode, and please stay safe until then.

And with that, I’m out.

The View from the Front by Stan R. Mitchell is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Love and peace,

Stan R. Mitchell

Don’t forget: You can comment anytime, and I’ll answer quickly! You can also reach out privately at: authorstanrmitchell@yahoo.com. (You can say “hi,” vent, or send news tips! I love all three of those things!)

P.S. Don’t forget to check out my books. I’ve written a CIA/Marine sniper series, a detective series, a private investigator series, an action-packed Western, a motivational self-help book about President Obama, and two realistic war novels: one about World War II and one about Afghanistan. You can find all of these books on Amazon.

Want to know more about me? Click here: About me. You can also learn more about my journey here: Writers are crazy, and I’m crazier than most.

Only the weak threaten a nuclear war.

Hello, my friends!

I wanted to send you just an incredible post I came across on social media.

This post is FREE, so please feel free to share if you enjoy it!

Also, if you can you support the show by becoming a paid subscriber, that will allow me to devote more time and resources to what I’m trying to do here.

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Only the weak threaten a nuclear war.

That was the headline that caught my attention on Post.News,

And what I read just absolutely blew me away. So much so that I immediately shared it, and then ten minutes later, I realized I wanted to share it with my much larger email list. So, I requested permission and the author thankfully granted me that permission.

Now, thanks to his permission, here is that same piece that he wrote. (Please note that he lives in Germany, so this all affects him way more than it affects us in the States.)

It’s my great hope that it moves you the same way it moved me.

Only the weak threaten a nuclear war.

Mass-murderer, misanthrope, and war-criminal, Vladimir Putin, threatens Poland, a NATO member nation, with war, because in a precaution they send a significant number of their troops to their eastern border — as it is their right to do on their own territory. Little punk Putin still believes it would somehow put pressure on anyone when he threatens — to the millionth time — someone with war to bully them into submission.

About 1.5 years ago I was a little afraid because of the invasion of Ukraine by Russia. That was also because I had not the information that I have now. Today I am not afraid of the Russian military — not just because the US — the largest military force in all of human history — would defend my country, Germany, but also because the Russian military is a paper tiger.

"But the nukes... what about the nukes?" you might say now.

I said that several times in the past, but let me reiterate: Russia very likely has not many functional nukes left. They most definitely do not have any hydrogen bombs left, because those are so crazily maintenance intensive, that you have to rebuild them every 5 to 10 years, or else the phenomenon known as "radiation rot" will have rendered every material unusable and every electronic structure inoperable around them.

It costs a shitton of money and rare materials (that you have to produce somehow — some of which must be breeded in breeder reactors, which need an entire industry behind them to operate them at all) to keep them up to date.

Conventional nukes — in the kiloton range — are not much better. They have a longer shelf life, but only by a decade or so. It is known that the Putin dictatorship ruined its own country so thoroughly, that they did not bother to keep the infrastructure intact to service all or even just a percentual part of their nuclear arsenal.

It is also known that Russia did not accrue the materials necessary to maintain the nukes. So if they do not produce them in large quantities themselves anymore and if they don't buy them on the world markets...

... then it's more likely than not that Russia has lost 99% of its nuclear arsenal to withering of the materials during the last 10 years. They, maybe, have a dozen or so tactical nukes left which might still work, or that they might have kept functional. But that's questionable. In any way:

It's a non-zero chance, and we should be careful because of this, but this also tells me: Putin's threats of "nuclear war" or "World War 3" are a bluff. He has not enough nukes left to even fight a local nuclear conflict — let alone an entire world war.

He's even so sloppy that he let his conventional forces deteriorate to a point that he couldn't even successfully invade Ukraine, which is a much smaller country with 5 times less citizens and very limited military capacity.

But one of the most significant markers that the Putin regime is done: Only those who are weak threaten nuclear war.

When did the Americans do that the last time (Trump and his "my red button is bigger" does not count, because Trump is in itself a shell of a human that lacks any type of courage; I am talking about actual politicians with actual courage who don't need to be told what the nuclear triad is)?

For the last 40 something years, they didn't threaten anyone directly with nuclear war.

Why?

Because the Americans are not weak. They know how strong they are, and they know that the rest of the world knows it too — they don't have the need to threaten anyone with a species ending world war.

Only little weaklings like Vladimir Putin have the need to play the tough guy; only pathetic losers like Putin have the urge to bully others with nukes that he largely no longer possesses.

The Polish government is not impressed. The Americans are not impressed. The Ukrainians are not impressed. I am not impressed.

The frequency Putin doles out the threats of nuclear war tells me: He's on his way down and he will end like any dictator who messed up so epicly before him: Killed by his own ilk and forgotten by history.

That guy is nearly done.

Not long now.

Hope you enjoyed that. And a big thanks to the author for letting me share that.

Reminder: this post is free, so you should be able to share it and even non-subscribers (and non-Post users) can read it.

Have a great weekend, guys, and thanks so much for all your support! (And if you missed the most recent podcast, check that out while you’re driving or on a walk or on the treadmill. I get into this big question:

How frustrated are American officials getting with Ukraine behind the scenes?

Link to that podcast: Podcast Episode 7-20-23. Three big things you need to know about the war in Ukraine this week.

The View from the Front by Stan R. Mitchell is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Love and peace,

Stan R. Mitchell

P.S. Don’t forget to check out my books. I’ve written 11 of them, including: a CIA/Marine sniper series, a detective series, a private investigator series, an action-packed Western, a motivational self-help book about President Obama, and two realistic war novels: one about World War II and one about Afghanistan. You can find all of these books on Amazon.

Want to know more about me? Click here: About me. You can also learn more about my journey here: Writers are crazy, and I’m crazier than most.

Podcast Episode 7-20-23. Three big things you need to know about the war in Ukraine this week.

Welcome to The View from the Front. My name is Stan and this is the July 20th edition. 

Today, we are talking about three big things you need to know about the war in Ukraine this week.

We’ll also have a segment in which we highlight what our military is doing, and this week, that involves three things you probably haven't heard about our military that happened in the past seven days.

And of course, we’ll cover some motivation and wisdom at the end.

Timestamps:

Timestamp: 3:33. Three big things you need to know about the war in Ukraine this week.

Timestamp: 23:30. The latest on Ukraine’s counteroffensive.

Timestamp: 31:35. The motivation and wisdom section.

If you just happened to stumble by, let me say a quick word about what we’re doing here.

Subscribe now

For those who don’t know, my name is Stan R. Mitchell, and I’m a prior Marine and journalist.

Every week, I primarily do three things with my podcast:

Cover emerging hotspots and foreign policy news that you absolutely should know. (Why I focus on foreign policy...)

Work to unite our country and remind us of how lucky we are to live in America. (My thoughts on the division in this country...)

And finally, I always share plenty of motivation and wisdom at the end of each episode.

Take a listen to the podcast. I really hope you get something out of it.

Source notes and links from the podcast above:

Ukraine claims responsibility for new attack on key Crimea bridge

Your must-read article for the week from The Washington Post. Jam-packed with facts you probably haven’t seen. This is a gift-article link. Feel free to share. Gift link: The biggest obstacle to Ukraine’s counteroffensive? Minefields.

US Completes Chemical Weapons Stockpile Destruction Operations

Russia Destroys Last Chemical Weapons

OPCW Executive Council and Director-General Review Progress on Destruction of Abandoned Chemical Weapons in China

'Helping Our State': Vermont Guard Responds to Severe Flooding

That’s it for this edition.

As a reminder, please be kind and try your best to love your fellow Americans.

So many men and women have sacrificed, fought, and died to keep this country together the past 240-plus years. Please work daily to unite our country again. The vast majority of Americans are decent, loving, great people.

Also, please try to be a better person each and every day. Try to be kinder on social media and how you interact with others with whom you disagree.

Please join me again in our next episode, and please stay safe until then.

And with that, I’m out.

The View from the Front by Stan R. Mitchell is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Love and peace,

Stan R. Mitchell

Don’t forget: You can comment anytime, and I’ll answer quickly! You can also reach out privately at: authorstanrmitchell@yahoo.com. (You can say “hi,” vent, or send news tips! I love all three of those things!)

P.S. Don’t forget to check out my books. I’ve written a CIA/Marine sniper series, a detective series, a private investigator series, an action-packed Western, a motivational self-help book about President Obama, and two realistic war novels: one about World War II and one about Afghanistan. You can find all of these books on Amazon.

Want to know more about me? Click here: About me. You can also learn more about my journey here: Writers are crazy, and I’m crazier than most.