Stan R. Mitchell's Blog, page 27

The Stan R. Mitchell report for 5/6/22.

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Happy Friday, everyone!

Hope you have had a great week and have some awesome plans for this weekend!

We begin today with Ukraine again. But before we get too serious, we begin with a joke.

Eerik N Kross @EerikNKrossA joke from Moscow:7 year old son: Dad, the TV said that Ukrainians are not even human.Dad: ExactlySon: But yesterday they said we are the same peopleDad: Exactly

May 5th 2022

580 Retweets3,565 Likes

Okay, hopefully, that caused a small chuckle.

Back to Ukraine, from the big-picture perspective, Russia is stalled and Ukraine is now counter-attacking. (You can see a ton of details regarding this, from the maps in this thread. For the sake of brevity, I’m not posting them all here, but there’s a bunch, and if you don’t have Twitter, I’d suggest you sign up for it as it’s a great way to explore further topics mentioned here from experts who post there.)

I’ve written the past four or five editions (or maybe more) about the horrible situation in the Azovstal steel plant in Mariupol. For the moment, the steel plant continues to hold out, and some evacuations have occurred.

You can read complete details below.

apne.ws/DkK4bFj ","username":"AP","name":"The Associated Press","date":"Fri May 06 17:44:01 +0000 2022","photos":[{"img_url":"https://pbs.substack.com/media/FSF5EH... wide shot of the steel plant, with smoke over it. Text: Two months spent inside the bombarded Azovstal steel plant."}],"quoted_tweet":{},"retweet_count":26,"like_count":39,"expanded_url":{},"video_url":null}">The Associated Press @APThe Azovstal steel plant is the last Ukrainian holdout in the ruined city of Mariupol. A brief cease-fire with Russia allowed civilians to flee the plant. apne.ws/DkK4bFj

May 6th 2022

26 Retweets39 Likes

Russia has increased its efforts to retake the plant, in the hopes of trying to celebrate May 9 in Mariupol, trying to hope up the city they destroyed as some kind of emblem of their success.

@AP filmed this man who said ‘We are helping to restore parks & monuments ahead of May 9 so Mariupol citizens can mark the holiday.’ Mariupol has been under relentless bombardment - how many citizens are even left? ","username":"EJ_Burrows","name":"Emma Burrows","date":"Fri May 06 07:10:02 +0000 2022","photos":[{"img_url":"https://substackcdn.com/image/upload/...Emma Burrows @EJ_BurrowsLooks like Russia WILL hold Victory Day celebrations in Mariupol. @AP filmed this man who said ‘We are helping to restore parks & monuments ahead of May 9 so Mariupol citizens can mark the holiday.’ Mariupol has been under relentless bombardment - how many citizens are even left?

May 6th 2022

102 Retweets189 Likes

But the entire thing screams of desperate propaganda.

As one journalist in Ukraine wrote…

Illia Ponomarenko 🇺🇦 @IAPonomarenko“The world’s 2nd biggest military power” is dreaming of declaring a victory over a splinter of a Ukrainian city garrison it has been trying to finally overwhelm for over 60 days.Pathetic.

May 5th 2022

5,722 Retweets41,319 Likes

I will continue to pray for and hold out hope for the brave, indomitable defenders of the steel plant. As well as for the civilians who remain trapped there.

In broader war news in Ukraine, everyone has doubtlessly seen the following.

The New York Times @nytimesBreaking News: The U.S. has provided intelligence that has helped Ukraine target and kill many Russian generals who have died in the war, officials said. U.S. Intelligence Is Helping Ukraine Kill Russian Generals, Officials SayTargeting assistance is part of a classified effort by the Biden administration to provide real-time battlefield intelligence to Ukraine.nyti.ms

May 4th 2022

1,566 Retweets10,731 Likes

As well as this.

Natasha Bertrand @NatashaBertrandNew: US gave intel to Ukraine that helped them target the Moskva. Ukrainian forces, having spotted the Russian warship in the Black Sea, asked the US for confirmation it was the Moskva. The US responded that it was, and provided intel about its location. US provided intelligence that helped Ukraine target Russian warship | CNN PoliticsWhen Ukraine successfully targeted Russia’s prized warship last month with anti-ship cruise missiles, it had some help from the United States.cnn.com

May 5th 2022

199 Retweets890 Likes

I’m not real sure why this information is being shared or leaked to the media, but in my view, it’s dangerous and unnecessary. And I hope it ends soon.

Putin hardly needs more reason to escalate further with the West, and the more that news such as this is shared, the more Putin can claim that this is a Russia vs NATO/US, instead of Russia vs Ukraine.

Also, news such as the above takes credit away from the Ukrainians, who deserve almost all of the credit for this fight against Russia; not us.

One other item I wanted to share regarding the invasion by Russia, and that is the continuing war crimes.

Samuel Ramani @SamRamani2Russia says that 200,000 children from Donetsk and Luhansk have crossed into its borders and 2,100 in the past 24 hours aloneThis is causing more alarm in Ukraine about Russia's forced deportation policy

May 5th 2022

1,726 Retweets5,146 Likes

Russia isn’t even ashamed of these crimes. It’s actually the opposite. They're proud of them.

#RussiaWarCrimes ","username":"Gerashchenko_en","name":"Anton Gerashchenko","date":"Wed May 04 10:44:38 +0000 2022","photos":[{"img_url":"https://substackcdn.com/image/upload/...Anton Gerashchenko @Gerashchenko_en“The opponents of the letter Z must understand that they will not be spared. Everything is serious here: concentration camps, re-education, sterilization!” - this was declared by Shakhnazarov on the state TV #RussiaWarCrimes

May 4th 2022

5,109 Retweets9,711 Likes

But I’m hoping this will begin to change. I was happy to see the story below.

Anthony Faiola @Anthony_FaiolaHow Russians are tearing millions of holes in the Digital Iron Curtain How millions of Russians are tearing holes in the Digital Iron CurtainA tremendous surge in VPN downloads represents a challenge to Putin and his version of the Ukraine war.washingtonpost.com

May 6th 2022

1 Retweet

From the story, residents in Russia are turning to virtual private networks, or VPNs, which are encrypted.

Since the war began in February, VPNs have been downloaded in Russia by the hundreds of thousands a day — a massive surge in demand that represents a direct challenge to President Vladimir Putin’s attempt to seal Russians off from the wider world. By protecting the locations and identities of users, VPNs are now granting millions of Russians access to blocked material.

…

Daily downloads in Russia of the 10 most popular VPNs jumped from below 15,000 just before the war to as many as 475,000 in March. As of this week, downloads were continuing at a rate of nearly 300,000 a day, according to data compiled for the Washington Post by the analytics firm Apptopia, which relies on information from apps, publicly available data and an algorithm to come up with estimates.

The article states that Russia is hesitant to block VPNs, since many Russians “use VPNs to access nonpolitical entertainment and communication tools — popular distractions from daily hardships.”

Let’s hope more and more Russians learn the truth of the horrors happening in Ukraine and that a wave of deep, unstoppable anger at their government builds up from seeing the atrocities and deaths of their own soldiers, which Putin continues to lie about.

In tech news, the Ukraine war has possibly altered the balance of power in battles, as Max Boot writes.

Max Boot 🇺🇦 @MaxBootDefenders benefit from sensors that allow them to detect attackers and strike them with precision munitions without revealing their own positions. As the Russians have learned, this is “creating a battlespace in which movement becomes extremely dangerous." Opinion | Russia learns the perils of aggression in an age of defensive dominanceTechnology is once again favoring defense — with important implications for U.S. strategy.wapo.st

May 4th 2022

6 Retweets27 Likes

Quoting an article published Oct. 14 by T.X. Hammes, a retired Marine colonel and iconoclastic military strategist, Boot says that:

… shifts in military technology have sometimes led to defensive dominance on the battlefield, sometimes to offensive dominance. Defenders had the upper hand between the American Civil War and World War I, which is why attacks along the Western Front were so bloody and futile. The dominance of the offensive was restored by the introduction of armor and aviation, leading to the German blitzkrieg in 1939-1941. But, Hammes argued, the application of information technology now means that the defender again has the edge.

…

Not even naval ships, bristling with armaments, are safe. “Today,” Hammes wrote, “land-based antiship systems are dominating the surface of the sea out to ever increasing ranges.” Sure enough, Ukraine employed Neptune antiship missiles to sink the cruiser Moskva, flagship of the Russian Black Sea Fleet, after reportedly distracting the crew with a TB2 drone. On Monday, Ukraine reported sinking two Russian patrol boats with TB2s.

Boot ends by saying that this defensive dominance should be noted by China.

“ Given how hard Russia is finding it to invade a neighboring state, imagine how much more difficult it will be for China to mount an amphibious assault across the Taiwan Strait,” Boot writes. “That’s precisely what the Marine Corps is trying to do with its controversial decision to ditch all of its tanks and much of its artillery to put its focus on light expeditionary forces armed with missiles and drones. Gen. David H. Berger, the Marine commandant, has come under fire from retired Marine generals for his innovations, but Hammes thinks ‘Ukraine vindicates the commandant.’”

I’m personally still enormously torn about the changes to the Marine Corps. And I think the Army and Navy can work on the defensive missiles and other weaponry necessary for that potential conflict.

Marines operate best in joint land and air units, deployed forward in an expeditionary fashion. And the next time a force is needed in Africa, the Middle East, etc, I fear the Marine Corps will be too altered and changed because it’s focused on the possibility of a conflict with China.

For now, I’m with the retired Generals strongly opposing these changes by the current Commandant.

While we’re on the subject of technology, in the last edition, I showed how drones and other tech were destroying the Russian Army easily. And I also showed how their troop carriers were rolling bathtubs basically filled with fuel.

But I was stunned to see that even their rocket artillery is hilariously pathetic. Take a look at this.

Angry Staffer 🌻 @Angry_StafferI have to admit, I didn’t realize how primitive Russian MLRS were. They released a propaganda video of them attacking Mariupol, and also revealed that none of this is automated.Manually attaching fuses or hand-loading rockets in the middle of combat looks like fun. 🤣🤣

May 6th 2022

218 Retweets1,381 Likes

Moving along, there’s been some sad news of our own.

news.usni.org/2022/05/04/uss… ","username":"USNINews","name":"USNI News","date":"Wed May 04 22:34:24 +0000 2022","photos":[{"img_url":"https://pbs.substack.com/media/FR8qML...USNI News @USNINewsUSS George Washington Sailor Deaths Prompts Navy to Investigate Manning in Maintenance - USNI Newsnews.usni.org/2022/05/04/uss…

May 4th 2022

3 Retweets13 Likes

Having been stuck on ship for six months in some pretty miserable conditions, I know how bleak it can be. And I also know that commanders put misssion accomplishment above quarters, caring for the troops, etc.

You have to have weapons, ammo, uniforms, etc.

You don’t have to have a decent place for service members to eat, sleep, etc.

Those are just the cold, hard facts.

But it’s also true that unnecessary suicides during basically peacetime are especially tragic. Here’s a great video and interview about it below.

@PentagonPresSec's response - ","username":"brikeilarcnn","name":"Brianna Keilar","date":"Fri May 06 13:43:19 +0000 2022","photos":[{"img_url":"https://substackcdn.com/image/upload/...Brianna Keilar @brikeilarcnn19 year old sailor Xavier Sandor died by suicide last month on the USS George Washington, the third in a week on the carrier. His parents say he'd still be alive if the Navy had offered better living conditions to the crew sooner. Hear @PentagonPresSec's response -

May 6th 2022

25 Retweets84 Likes

Okay, let’s end the news portion on a lighter note. Far too much tragic news happening out there.

I’m sharing the two items below just because they’re amazing pictures of large fleets of helicopters in the air. Something you almost never see.

@1stMAW_Marines, flies AH-1Z Cobra and UH-1Y Venom helicopters during a mass formation launch known as \"Fly the Barn\" at Marine Corps Air Station Futenma, Okinawa, Japan, April 29.\n\n#MarineAviation ","username":"USMC","name":"U.S. Marines","date":"Wed May 04 14:26:53 +0000 2022","photos":[{"img_url":"https://pbs.substack.com/media/FR656b...U.S. Marines @USMCMarine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron 369, @1stMAW_Marines, flies AH-1Z Cobra and UH-1Y Venom helicopters during a mass formation launch known as "Fly the Barn" at Marine Corps Air Station Futenma, Okinawa, Japan, April 29.#MarineAviation

May 4th 2022

93 Retweets577 Likes@3rdmaw, conduct a mass flight formation at @MCIWPendletonCA, April 28.\n\nThis training formation demonstrated the tactical capabilities and combat power of the H-1 platform. \n#MarineAviation ","username":"USMC","name":"U.S. Marines","date":"Wed May 04 18:12:09 +0000 2022","photos":[{"img_url":"https://pbs.substack.com/media/FR7uJS...U.S. Marines @USMCUH-1Y Venoms and AH-1Z Vipers with Marine Light Attack Helicopter Training Squadron 303, @3rdmaw, conduct a mass flight formation at @MCIWPendletonCA, April 28.This training formation demonstrated the tactical capabilities and combat power of the H-1 platform. #MarineAviation

May 4th 2022

72 Retweets481 Likes

And here’s your dose of motivation and wisdom. (Mostly motivation.)

Othman Designer @OthmanDesignerDo what you love ❤️ Snoop Dogg

May 6th 2022

39 Retweets188 LikesReini Lackner @ReiniLacknerPrioritize frequency over magnitude.

May 5th 2022

1 Retweet28 LikesReini Lackner @ReiniLacknerPain and failure are part of growth.

May 5th 2022

3 Retweets27 LikesReini Lackner @ReiniLackner10 visualized beliefs to overcome Self-Doubt and be more confident.

May 5th 2022

79 Retweets345 LikesLife Quotes @RTLifeQuotesBalance your thoughts with action. If you spend too much time thinking about a thing, you'll never get it done. – Bruce Lee

May 5th 2022

178 Retweets699 Likes

That’s it for this edition.

As a reminder, please be kind and endeavor to love your fellow Americans. We need to pull this country together, and that starts with all of us.

My newsletter is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, please consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. That will make sure you don’t miss any future editions. (For those who want to support my work, you can pay $5 per month. It’s like throwing a few bucks into a hat. Here’s why you should, and you can pause it at any time.)

The view from the front: military matters and motivation. is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

The view from the front: military matters and motivation is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

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Semper Fidelis,

Stan R. Mitchell

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 leadership/biography book, and two realistic war novels: one about World War IIand one about Afghanistan.

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The Stan R. Mitchell report for 5/3/22.

Happy Tuesday, everyone!

Not a whole lot has happened in Ukraine since our last newsletter. The Russians are bogged down, and even being pushed back in some areas.

Some civilians from Mariupol at the Azovstal steel plant have been rescued. That is great news, and the defenders that remain are still somehow holding out.

Here’s the latest news I saw about the situation just prior to publication.

Hromadske Int. @HromadskeAzovstal was shelled with naval artillery all night of May 2, says the Commander of the 12th Brigade of the National Guard Denys Schlega.There are about 200 civilians left at the steel work, including 20 children, as well as more than 500 wounded soldiers

May 2nd 2022

159 Retweets289 Likes

I know I’m probably holding out to the impossible, but the below map gives me some hope.

Ukrainian forces appear to be about one hundred miles from Mariupol and the defenders at the steel plant. (Look roughly in the middle of the map.)

Phillips P. OBrien @PhillipsPOBrienHere is a map with a distance marker, you can see just how long a line they have to cover. Seems that the area around Kharkiv is not as well defended.

April 30th 2022

65 Retweets516 Likes

Part of me wishes the Ukrainians would do an all-out push to rescue those trapped there, but I have to remind myself that every town and city currently occupied faces horrendous threats. Russian troops are sending people to filtration camps, as well as sending them all the way to Russia itself.

Families are being separated, men are being executed, and women and girls are being raped.

These realities, as horrific as they are to consider, are just the facts.

But the Ukrainians are taking the fight to the Russians now.

Speaking more broadly than merely the area of Mariupol, it’s remarkable how things have changed in Ukraine since the early days of the invasion.

Take a look at these two maps.

Ukraine War Map @War_MapperA comparison of the height of Russian control (18 March) and the most recent control.

May 1st 2022

290 Retweets1,007 Likes

And it’s just beginning. The Russians have no idea what they are in for as with each passing day, the Ukrainians grow stronger. Take this news, for example.

Gordon Lubold @gluboldmore than 200 Ukrainian artillerymen have been trained on the M777 artillery system the US is providing, a senior defense official tells reporters, as the fight unfolds in the Donbas

May 2nd 2022

28 Retweets109 Likes

The devastation this artillery will bring is nicely laid out in the article below.

Task & Purpose @TaskandPurpose'The king of battle' — How US artillery in the hands of Ukrainians may reshape the war with Russia ‘The king of battle’ — How US artillery in the hands of Ukrainians may reshape the war with RussiaWe’ve always called it ‘the king of battle’”bit.ly

May 2nd 2022

12 Retweets36 Likes

As the article states:

Even in this age of modern – and often over-engineered – weapons systems, artillery has proven its worth time and again on the battlefield. During the 2017 fight to drive the Islamic State group from its former capital of Raqqa, Syria, a Marine artillery detachment fired so many 155 mm rounds in support of Syrian Democratic Forces that they burned out the barrels of two of their M777 howitzers.

Russia’s issues are stark. Besides fielding conscripts and lacking the motivation that comes naturally from fighting to defend their homeland, additional new details emerge almost daily of how pathetic Russian equipment truly is.

Take for instance what their troops ride in.

Mark Hertling @MarkHertlingThe autoloader is 1 of 100's flaws in Russian design in the production of military equipment.Two additional examples.Here's the rear of the BMP, a RU infantry carrier. Note the cramped compartment.Also note how the door has big bulges. Those are fuel tanks. 11/

May 2nd 2022

107 Retweets1,462 Likes

Look how cramped this vehicle is. AND, how there are fuel tanks literally in the back door, just waiting to get shot up.

While it’s true Russia could impose a draft and bring in additional troops several months from now, it would take too long to train them for them to have much effect, in my opinion. And the Russian economy is about to get hit again. With an even bigger impact than all the previous hits it’s taken.

Europe is looking seriously now to places like Algeria, Angola, Nigeria, and the Republic of Congo for its energy needs.

Daniel Yergin, an energy historian and vice chairman of S&P Global, summed it up perfectly in an article to the Washington Post: “Two months ago, the Europeans could not possibly have imagined shutting the door on Russian energy, and now it’s only a question at this point of how long will it take. And it’s happening faster than would have been imagined possible only two months ago. Putin in eight weeks of war has destroyed what he spent 22 years building: integrating Russia into the world economy.”

You can read the entire article below, though admittedly there will be short-term pain for Europe with this situation, as the article lays out.

The Washington Post @washingtonpostThe next 18 months are going to be a harrowing time for Europe, as the impacts of high prices ripple around the world and governments struggle to power their factories, heat their homes and keep their electricity plants running. Russian threats redraw the global energy mapwapo.st

May 1st 2022

57 Retweets150 Likes

It seems that someone within Russia’s boundaries will surely try to take out Putin soon. The insanity of this invasion proves more and more mad and fatal with every passing day.

While we’re on the topic of Ukraine, I wanted to take a much closer look at how drones and missiles are completely re-shaping the battlefield.

And they’re often field-expedient/modified and not even used as designed.

Take for example this item, where a Russian helicopter is shot down by a Ukrainian anti-tank missile. (Probably more punch than needed, but still deadly effective.)

@Kochevenko \n","username":"Conflicts","name":"Conflict News","date":"Tue Apr 05 10:29:39 +0000 2022","photos":[{"img_url":"https://cdn.substack.com/image/upload...Conflict News @ConflictsVIDEO: Ukrainian forces shoot down Russian helicopter with Stugna-P anti-tank missile. - @Kochevenko

April 5th 2022

2,709 Retweets16,098 Likes

And then there’s this.

Kyle Glen @KyleJGlenUkrainian 92nd Mechanized Brigade destroy a Russian tank by dropping an explosive from a drone.

May 1st 2022

136 Retweets799 Likes

I wanted to show how the Ukrainians are doing these attacks, by sharing this excellent thread by @ChrisO_wiki.

@ian_matveev, on whose thread this is based). /1 ","username":"ChrisO_wiki","name":"ChrisO","date":"Sun May 01 00:33:18 +0000 2022","photos":[{"img_url":"https://cdn.substack.com/image/upload...ChrisO @ChrisO_wikiBy now, many will have seen the video of a Ukrainian drone dropping a small bomb through the sunscreen (!) of a car driven by Russian soldiers. Here's a short thread on how it was done (with thanks to @ian_matveev, on whose thread this is based). /1

May 1st 2022

2,326 Retweets8,795 Likes

(He’s referring to this tweet.)

ChrisO @ChrisO_wikiFor the attack, a modified VOG-17 grenade was used. A fin and a front part, created on a 3D printer, are added. The VOG-17 is a Soviet-era 30x120 mm fragmentation grenade with a claimed effective radius of 7m, covering an area of about 150 m². /2

May 1st 2022

148 Retweets1,480 LikesChrisO @ChrisO_wikiIt weighs about 350g (12.3oz) A hobbyist drone like a DJI Phantom 3 is easily capable of carrying one of these. As two grenades were used in this attack, it suggests that a bigger drone was used, two drones were used or the same drone was used to attack twice in succession. /3

May 1st 2022

88 Retweets1,134 LikesChrisO @ChrisO_wikiThe modifications to the grenade are simple, but as the video shows, they enable good aerodynamic performance and high accuracy. /4

May 1st 2022

366 Retweets2,696 LikesChrisO @ChrisO_wikiThe VOG-17 grenade itself contains only 36g (1.2oz) of explosive and can't seriously damage equipment. But there is a lot of such ammunition in Ukraine. It's usually fired from an AG-17 automatic grenade launcher, a Soviet equivalent of the US Mk 19. /5

May 1st 2022

75 Retweets1,184 LikesChrisO @ChrisO_wikiLow-cost hobbyist drones armed with small modified grenades provide a cheap and effective weapon against individual soldiers. Factions in Syria and Iraq used them to some extent, but they've really come into their own in Ukraine. /6

May 1st 2022

94 Retweets1,335 LikesChrisO @ChrisO_wikiBut how do you destroy an armoured vehicle with an off-the-shelf drone? Ukraine appears to have been using a few different approaches. One of the most effective has been to repurpose the RKG-3, an old Soviet-era type of anti-tank grenade dating to 1950. /7

May 1st 2022

74 Retweets1,087 LikesChrisO @ChrisO_wikiIn 2020, Ukraine's PJSC Mayak Plant demonstrated a drone bomb conversion for the RKG-3 - attaching 3D-printed fins to convert it into the RKG-1600. It weighs about 1kg (2 lb), requiring the use of a larger drone. /8

May 1st 2022

81 Retweets1,119 LikesChrisO @ChrisO_wikiIn 2020, Ukraine's PJSC Mayak Plant demonstrated a drone bomb conversion for the RKG-3 - attaching 3D-printed fins to convert it into the RKG-1600. It weighs about 1kg (2 lb), requiring the use of a larger drone. /8

May 1st 2022

81 Retweets1,119 LikesChrisO @ChrisO_wikiAnother tactic appears to be the use of what are likely to be aerially-dropped mortar rounds - a very simple and cheap option, particularly against weakly armoured vehicles such as these Russian BMP-3s (with only about 10mm of top armour). /10

May 1st 2022

88 Retweets1,285 LikesChrisO @ChrisO_wikiThe effect of these can be seen in the video below. /11

May 1st 2022

118 Retweets1,591 LikesChrisO @ChrisO_wikiThe cost-effectiveness of these things is extraordinary. An octocopter drone costs maybe $10k, a Phantom 3 costs around $500. A mortar or RKG-1600 probably costs under $100. Each BMP-3 cost the Russians $796k. Add to that the potential cost of a lost crew. /12

May 1st 2022

188 Retweets1,932 LikesChrisO @ChrisO_wikiYou can bet that military strategists will be watching this with great interest. Drones are now able to effectively snipe soldiers and equipment with great precision, likely undetected, at any time of the day or night and in most weather conditions. /13

May 1st 2022

156 Retweets1,759 LikesChrisO @ChrisO_wikiEven if you're camouflaged, bivouacked or behind the front lines, a drone armed with a small bomb could be overhead at any moment. Drone pilots are the new snipers of the 21st century, and are likely to be just as much feared by their targets. /end

May 1st 2022

330 Retweets2,992 Likes

It’s kind of crazy to think that these drones are the new snipers of the 21st Century, but it’s also hard to disagree.

These drones are completely transforming the battlefield.

Moving along, we’ve talked some about the expansion of NATO. Following up on that, here is an article that explains some of the details involved in that happening, and how it will take some time to occur.

Defense News @defense_newsWidespread, if not universal, support exists within NATO for Finnish membership. Unfortunately for Finland, and perhaps for the alliance, there is likely to be a significant delay. Should Finland join NATO? Consider these factors.Widespread, if not universal, support exists within NATO for Finnish membership. Unfortunately for Finland, and perhaps for the alliance, there is likely to be a significant delay.defensenews.com

April 30th 2022

7 Retweets19 Likes

Enough news for this edition. Let’s end with some motivation and wisdom.

First, a relevant, on-topic tweet that shows we can ALL do something to help those causes that we care about. Even if you’re a small child.

The Kyiv Independent @KyivIndependent⚡️Six-year-old girl raises Hr 5,000 ($165) for Ukrainian military by playing flute on the street.Solomiia Reut from Dnipro raised half the sum needed to buy one bulletproof vest, and her mother fundraised the other half on social media.Photo: Sicheslavska Prosvita/Facebook

April 27th 2022

4,260 Retweets26,547 Likes

And here are some more generic, typical motivational ones.

Karine Jean-Pierre @K_JeanPierreSHARE.

May 1st 2022

466 Retweets1,212 Likes#Motivation","username":"IMQuotes_Videos","name":"Inspired Motivation Quotes","date":"Sun May 01 13:00:03 +0000 2022","photos":[],"quoted_tweet":{},"retweet_count":91,"like_count":189,"expanded_url":{},"video_url":null}">Inspired Motivation Quotes @IMQuotes_VideosIf you are looking for true success, don’t worry about social status. Don’t waste your precious time and energy trying to impress others. Live below your means. That combined with hard work & persistence is what will take you to the top.#Motivation

May 1st 2022

91 Retweets189 LikesStan R. Mitchell @StanRMitchellSaw a great quote on Instagram. "Stop calling it your dream and start calling it your plan."👊💪🤠

May 2nd 2022

4 Likes Mike Jason @mikejason733 rules of thumb:1) ain't nothin' easy2) never take your first 'no' for an answer3) everything is built on a personal relationship

Matthew Kobach @mkobach

What’s something a boss told you that has stuck with you your entire career?

April 29th 2022

2 Retweets30 LikesInspirational Quotes @TheQuoteBoook_Opportunities don't happen, you create them.

May 1st 2022

108 Retweets538 Likes

That’s it for this edition.

As a reminder, please be kind and endeavor to love your fellow Americans. We need to pull this country together, and that starts with all of us.

My newsletter is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, please consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. That will make sure you don’t miss any future editions. (For those who want to support my work, you can pay $5 per month. It’s like throwing a few bucks into a hat. Here’s why you should, and you can pause it at any time.)

The view from the front: military matters and motivation. is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

As always, please share this post if you enjoyed it! (You can share it on your Facebook page or any other social media platform, or even email it to a friend.)

Thank you for reading The view from the front: military matters and motivation. This post is public so feel free to share it.

Share

Finally, as my regular readers and commenters know, I welcome any and all respectful comments below. (And this is a safe place. I delete all comments by trolls, idiots, etc. They’ve got plenty of other places on the internet where they can go be hateful and ignorant; let’s have our own place where we can be thoughtful and considerate and have some real diaglogue.)

Want to talk to me directly? Email me at the following address: authorstanrmitchell@yahoo.com. I love hearing feedback, compliments, and even constructive criticism. : ) 

Semper Fidelis,

Stan R. Mitchell

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 leadership/biography book, and two realistic war novels: one about World War IIand one about Afghanistan.

And here’s a short bio about me and what I’m trying to do with the newsletter. And if you’d like to support me, you can subscribe to my newsletter for $5 per month (it comes out twice a week). Or, you can check out my books at this link: http://amzn.to/3p6lAnQ. I’ve sold 70,000-plus copies and had thousands of reviews on Amazon and Goodreads. I’m confident you’ll enjoy them.

The Stan R. Mitchell report for 4/29/22.

Happy Friday, everyone! Hope you have some awesome plans for the weekend!

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Oh, and while we’re on the topic, I’m so appreciative to all my new subscribers and those who recently signed up as paid supporters!

We begin today with the steel plant in Mariupol, which I’ve been writing extensively about.

And I know it’s a horrific thing to even think about or consider, but this tweet just really encapsulated my thoughts on the war in Ukraine so well.

ashton kutcher @apluskThe minute we allow the war in Ukraine to become background noise we lose. We must have the nerve to continue to stare pain down the barrel and envelop it with love. Our compassion has power. Don’t look away.

April 26th 2022

1,255 Retweets6,184 Likes

This has not been easy for me to track obsessively the past eight weeks or so, but I must. Just as you must.

We have to do this for several reasons, including:

We must watch this for the sake of the Ukrainians, so that they know they have our attention and support.

We must watch this for the chances we have to encourage/demand our government to support their fight.

And we must watch this to witness for the sake of history the thousands of horrendous atrocities being committed there.

And with the anger stirred by this witness, we must pledge by our outrage that we will do all we can to prevent this from happening elsewhere. For the sake of our own souls. For the sake of our humanity.

Right must resist wrong. Justice must combat tyranny.

Back to the topic of the steel plant in Mariupol, it’s still somehow holding out, as of publication of this newsletter.

But the situation grows darker by the minute, it seems. The Russians bombed a makeshift hospital facility just a while ago.

Jake Tapper @jaketapperMariupol mayor claims 600 injured in recent bombing of Azovstal steel plant 600 injured in recent bombing of Azovstal steel plant, Mariupol mayor saysUkrainian officials say several people were injured in Russia’s missile attack on Kyiv Thursday night, which occurred as the United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres was finishing a visit to the Ukrainian capital. Follow here for live news updates.cnn.com

April 29th 2022

76 Retweets163 Likes

The bombing above destroyed much of the medical equipment that the Ukrainians had. And the descriptions in the article below make it seem like hell on earth in that place.

Jake Tapper @jaketapperSituation inside besieged steel plant is “beyond a humanitarian catastrophe,” commander inside tells CNN Situation inside besieged steel plant is “beyond a humanitarian catastrophe,” commander inside tells CNNUkrainian officials say several people were injured in Russia’s missile attack on Kyiv Thursday night, which occurred as the United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres was finishing a visit to the Ukrainian capital. Follow here for live news updates.cnn.com

April 29th 2022

98 Retweets218 Likes

I’m not even sure what else to say, other than to pray for those inside and those on the outside trying to get there. (There’s the hint of some possibility of an extraction effort in the article above.)

I’ve thought on this a bit (or maybe way too much) and on the one hand, I’m just not sure how much longer they can hold out.

It talks about this urgency in the article above. The Ukrainians inside are running out of water, food, and ammo. And their commander said he wasn’t sure how long they could hold out. It would depend on how hard the Russians tried to take the place, he said.

Clearly, the tragedy is beyond impossible to describe. And you just feel for everyone there, including women, children, and even infants ( youngest: 4 months old).

But on the other, with how Russians are relocating Ukrainians back to Russia, torturing others, and even executing still others, how can you not hold out?

How. Could. You. Not.

I have no idea how this will end, but this could become one of those starvation-like situations where you see half-starved survivors, such as we saw so often in World War II, from starved prisoners or survivors of the concentration camps.

While things are BEYOND dreadful in the Mariupol steel plant named Azovstal, there’s honestly cause for celebration elsewhere.

First, let’s dispense with some of the fear-mongering happening out there.

Despite much of the hysterics in the media regarding Russia using nuclear weapons (I guess they have to get viewers for those ad dollars somehow), the reality is that currently, the threat remains small.

Jack Detsch @JackDetschNEW: U.S. does NOT assess that there is a threat of Russia's use of nuclear weapons in Ukraine: senior U.S. defense official

April 29th 2022

82 Retweets409 Likes

I would even go so far to say that the U.S. could tell and know (through satellite pictures, intercepted communications, trucks loaded at certain sites, etc) when Russia planned to do such a thing if it were a tactical nuke.

To be clear, I have no official knowledge of this, but our intelligence has been dead on regarding much of what has occurred in this fight since well before it began. (Now it’s true that the intelligence community — like almost everyone — thought Russia would crush Ukraine with an overwhelming invasion, but it was impossible to predict how much of a joke the Russian Army had become; they hadn’t performed this badly in previous engagements and much credit is due to the Ukrainians for their fighting spirit.)

Second, let’s dig into the situation of the Russian efforts in the Donbas area.

Dr. Mike Martin posted an incredible thread about the situation there, which I highly recommend. (Also, that you follow him if you’re not already.)

Martin writes in his thread that Russia attempted to bring its busted-up units from the northern part of Ukraine to the eastern part of Ukraine.

From there, the Russians could have then tried to surround the Ukrainians, as I shared last week.

Illia Ponomarenko 🇺🇦 @IAPonomarenkoHere’s a very, very basic map that will help you understand the Battle of Donbas now. The Red is the Russians, the blue is the Ukrainians. As you can see, the enemy is trying to pinch off a Ukrainian salient with two major strikes from the north and the south.

April 22nd 2022

4,579 Retweets19,275 Likes

But the Russians are not only incompetent, they’re also stupid. So, Martin explains they tried old-style attrition warfare (like the silliness you saw in World War I, almost), simply pushing forward behind large-scale artillery fire.

Thankfully, the Ukrainians weren’t fools.

Dr Mike Martin ⛵️ @ThreshedThoughtThe Ukrainians have done the right thing here. They are dug in, and so artillery effects them less. And then they are withdrawing in good order, so that they can inflict maximum damage to the Russians.They are trading space for enemy troops. Exactly the right tactics.

April 29th 2022

206 Retweets2,212 Likes

This should lead to the following outcome.

Dr Mike Martin ⛵️ @ThreshedThoughtSo we will see the Battle for Donbas culminate in maybe the next 2-4 weeks.Basically the Russians are gonna run out of troops, and the Ukrainians are going to counterattack.

April 29th 2022

262 Retweets2,398 Likes

I completely agree with Martin.

And American and Canadian artillery pieces are already in Ukraine (the pics below are behind by a couple of days).

@USMC M777 towed 155 mm howitzers bound for Ukraine are loaded onto a @usairforce C-17 Globemaster III aircraft at @March_ARB. ","username":"DeptofDefense","name":"Department of Defense 🇺🇸","date":"Wed Apr 27 20:52:22 +0000 2022","photos":[{"img_url":"https://pbs.substack.com/media/FRYPr7...Department of Defense 🇺🇸 @DeptofDefense.@USMC M777 towed 155 mm howitzers bound for Ukraine are loaded onto a @usairforce C-17 Globemaster III aircraft at @March_ARB.

April 27th 2022

1,724 Retweets9,103 Likes

Plus, as you recall in my last newsletter, we’re even training the artillery crews. I’d put the newly trained Ukrainians up against the conscripted Russians any day of the week.

My view: the Ukrainians are going to absolutely slaughter the Russians and drive them out of their country in the east.

Adding to that, it makes me happy to see him even predict this:

Dr Mike Martin ⛵️ @ThreshedThoughtStrategic outlook:Give it four weeks; we’ll see Donbas go in the other direction, then Crimea will start to come into play.

April 29th 2022

209 Retweets2,527 Likes

I’d love it if Ukraine could get Crimea back. And regarding one other threat you sometimes hear the media warn of: what if the Russians call a draft and do full-scale mobilization?

Asked about this threat, Martin dismissed it:.

@MauWillemovich Nope. Too poorly trained and will take too long.","username":"ThreshedThought","name":"Dr Mike Martin ⛵️","date":"Fri Apr 29 08:02:18 +0000 2022","photos":[],"quoted_tweet":{},"retweet_count":0,"like_count":20,"expanded_url":{},"video_url":null}">Dr Mike Martin ⛵️ @ThreshedThought@MauWillemovich Nope. Too poorly trained and will take too long.

April 29th 2022

20 Likes

There’s perhaps the glimmer of light on the horizon for Ukraine, for those who have survived this madness. Let’s pray those in the steel plant can be rescued, and that the Ukrainians continue to withstand this horrendous test of character their nation is facing.

Moving on to tech news and a much lighter topic, just a couple of things.

First, I’ve talked before about drones being led/commanded by other aircraft. Here’s the latest on that.

news.usni.org/2022/04/28/nav… ","username":"NavalInstitute","name":"U.S. Naval Institute","date":"Thu Apr 28 21:55:38 +0000 2022","photos":[{"img_url":"https://pbs.substack.com/media/FRdnyC...U.S. Naval Institute @NavalInstituteNavy’s F/A-XX Fighter Will be the ‘Quarterback’ for a Team of Unmanned Aircraft - USNI Newsnews.usni.org/2022/04/28/nav…

April 28th 2022

12 Retweets39 Likes

Secondly, this probably isn’t tech news, but my word is this amazing. 🤣

Task & Purpose @TaskandPurposeA Toyota truck with a massive Gatling gun that fires 6,000 rounds a minute has surfaced in Yemen A Toyota truck with a massive Gatling gun that fires 6,000 rounds a minute has surfaced in YemenYes, that will scratch up the bedbit.ly

April 28th 2022

8 Retweets35 Likes

All right, sorry for the heaviness in part of this edition. Let’s end with some motivation and wisdom.

Actually, to hell with it. Let’s end with a LOT of motivation and wisdom! (Until you all start complaining about it, I’m going to keep piling it on. Because who can’t use some motivation and wisdom in their life?! Also, we must balance out the dark news I shared above.)

N. M. Curry @realPatriot_7

April 28th 2022

2 Retweets5 LikesCynthia Williams @Tink8811🙏🏻💖🙏🏻

April 28th 2022

6 Likes

Success Minded @_SuccessMinded_"You attract what you are, not what you want. If you want great, be great."

April 28th 2022

574 Retweets2,930 Likes#Peaceful","username":"IMQuotes_Videos","name":"Inspired Motivation Quotes","date":"Wed Apr 27 16:00:03 +0000 2022","photos":[],"quoted_tweet":{},"retweet_count":66,"like_count":204,"expanded_url":{},"video_url":null}">Inspired Motivation Quotes @IMQuotes_VideosThe less you respond to negative people, the more peaceful your life will become.#Peaceful

April 27th 2022

66 Retweets204 Likes#WordsOfWisdom","username":"IMQuotes_Videos","name":"Inspired Motivation Quotes","date":"Wed Apr 27 14:00:18 +0000 2022","photos":[],"quoted_tweet":{},"retweet_count":56,"like_count":146,"expanded_url":{},"video_url":null}">Inspired Motivation Quotes @IMQuotes_VideosIf your thoughts are turning negative. STOP! Take a deep breath. Think of something or someone you love that brings you joy. Hold that thought. Smile. Move on. Enjoy the rest of the day with a positive mindset.#WordsOfWisdom

April 27th 2022

56 Retweets146 Likes

Success Minded @_SuccessMinded_Don't rush the process, Trust it. Great things take time.

April 20th 2022

995 Retweets4,661 Likes #Motivation","username":"IMQuotes_Videos","name":"Inspired Motivation Quotes","date":"Fri Apr 29 13:00:09 +0000 2022","photos":[],"quoted_tweet":{},"retweet_count":24,"like_count":37,"expanded_url":{},"video_url":null}">Inspired Motivation Quotes @IMQuotes_VideosThoughts generate more thoughts, on their own. When we spend time thinking about negative things, our mind generates more and more negative thoughts. When we spend time thinking about positive things, our mind generates more and more positive thoughts.#Motivation

April 29th 2022

24 Retweets37 LikesSuccess Minded @_SuccessMinded_"Your values are what you do when no one is looking."

April 24th 2022

474 Retweets2,668 LikesN. M. Curry @realPatriot_7Don't practice until you get it right. Practice until you can't get it wrong.

April 20th 2022

6 Retweets30 Likes

That’s it for this edition. Want to talk to me directly? Email me at the following address: authorstanrmitchell@yahoo.com. I love hearing feedback, compliments, and even constructive criticism. : ) 

As a reminder, please be kind and endeavor to love your fellow Americans. We need to pull this country together, and that starts with all of us.

My newsletter is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, please consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. That will make sure you don’t miss any future editions. (For those who want to support my work, you can pay $5 per month. It’s like throwing a few bucks into a hat. Here’s why you should, and you can pause it at any time.)

Subscribe now

As always, please share this post if you enjoyed it! (You can share it on your Facebook page or any other social media platform, or even email it to a friend.)

Thank you for reading The view from the front: military matters and motivation. This post is public so feel free to share it.

Share

Finally, as my regular readers and commenters know, I welcome any and all respectful comments below. (And this is a safe place. I delete all comments by trolls, idiots, etc. They’ve got plenty of other places on the internet where they can go be hateful and ignorant; let’s have our own place where we can be thoughtful and considerate and have some real diaglogue.)

Semper Fidelis,

Stan R. Mitchell

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 leadership/biography book, and two realistic war novels: one about World War IIand one about Afghanistan.

And here’s a short bio about me and what I’m trying to do with the newsletter. And if you’d like to support me, you can subscribe to my newsletter for $5 per month (it comes out twice a week). Or, you can check out my books at this link: http://amzn.to/3p6lAnQ. I’ve sold 70,000-plus copies and had thousands of reviews on Amazon and Goodreads. I’m confident you’ll enjoy them.

The Stan R. Mitchell report for 4/26/22.

Happy Tuesday, everyone!

Going to make this edition short. Been busy with my step-son’s travel baseball commitments, a lot of writing on my fifth Nick Woods book, and recording Take Down, which will be in audio before too long. I’ve also been upping my fitness gain, lifting, running, and hitting and kicking the heavy bag. (Summer’s almost here, ya know. 🙂)

Plus, there’s not been much big news anyway, thank goodness.

In Mariupol, the steel plant is still somehow in Ukrainian hands despite a couple of more vicious assaults. Putin tried a head fake by saying he wouldn’t attempt to retake the plant, then made a couple of brutal attacks.

It didn’t work.

#SlavaUkraini https://t.co/zA8HSo4uVl","u... Spencer","date":"Mon Apr 25 22:34:55 +0000 2022","photos":[],"quoted_tweet":{"full_text":"#Mariupol Update Thread:\n\n#Russian forces resumed ground assaults against #Ukrainian defenders in the Azovstal Steel Plant and continued heavy bombardment on April 25 but did not secure any discernable advances. 1/2\nhttps://t.co/K1uqxUKllV https://t.co/Q5MFBXQNNg","u...John Spencer @SpencerGuardMariupol still stands! April 25. #SlavaUkraini https://t.co/zA8HSo4uVl

ISW @TheStudyofWar

#Mariupol Update Thread:#Russian forces resumed ground assaults against #Ukrainian defenders in the Azovstal Steel Plant and continued heavy bombardment on April 25 but did not secure any discernable advances. 1/2https://t.co/K1uqxUKllV https://t.co/Q5MFBXQNNg

April 25th 2022

69 Retweets368 Likes

I’m not sure how long the steel plant can continue to hold out, but they must be getting supplies somehow, perhaps as I suggested in a recent newsletter.

On Sunday, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin visited Ukraine. As a part of the visit, the United States pledged another $700 million in military financing.

The New Yorker ran a great article about Russia’s invasion, asking the question, “Is the Russian military a paper tiger?”

@joel_rayburn⁩: A bad army was ordered to do something stupid. ","username":"MaxBoot","name":"Max Boot 🇺🇦","date":"Sun Apr 24 08:17:03 +0000 2022","photos":[],"quoted_tweet":{},"retweet_count":8,"like_count":53,"expanded_url":{"url":"https://www.newyorker.com/news/q-and-... the Russian Military a Paper Tiger?","description":"At a critical juncture in the war in Ukraine, logistical miscalculations and poor planning have revealed key weaknesses in Putin’s armed forces.","domain":"newyorker.com"},"video_url":null}">Max Boot 🇺🇦 @MaxBoot.⁦@joel_rayburn⁩: A bad army was ordered to do something stupid. Is the Russian Military a Paper Tiger?At a critical juncture in the war in Ukraine, logistical miscalculations and poor planning have revealed key weaknesses in Putin’s armed forces.newyorker.com

April 24th 2022

8 Retweets53 Likes

I really agreed with this paragraph from the article:

Their losses have been astronomical. Their units have taken such a beating. Their logistics are weak. Their leadership is poor and their troops so poorly trained and motivated. I just don’t see how the kind of force that has been defeated in the north over the first six weeks of this war can suddenly transform itself into a force that’s going to be able to get done what they appear to want to get done, even in eastern Ukraine, southeastern Ukraine.

It seems increasingly clear that Russia did more than bite off more than it could chew. The country is now getting punched back in the face in places other than just in Ukraine and in their pocketbook.

Large fires burned for hours at two oil depots in Russia, more than 100 miles from Ukraine.

#Russia: Early today, 2 oil storage depots (Civil & Military) were hit by explosions & subsequent large fires in #Bryansk. Some fires continue 12+ hours later. \n\nWhilst officially unconfirmed, info we have reliably received states that they were caused by UA TB-2 drone strikes. ","username":"UAWeapons","name":"🇺🇦 Ukraine Weapons Tracker","date":"Mon Apr 25 14:03:23 +0000 2022","photos":[{"img_url":"https://pbs.substack.com/media/FRMbFz...🇺🇦 Ukraine Weapons Tracker @UAWeapons#Russia: Early today, 2 oil storage depots (Civil & Military) were hit by explosions & subsequent large fires in #Bryansk. Some fires continue 12+ hours later. Whilst officially unconfirmed, info we have reliably received states that they were caused by UA TB-2 drone strikes.

April 25th 2022

1,349 Retweets8,423 Likes

There was also this news from Russia in the same geographic area.

#Bryansk, in addition to the explosions of oil and ammo depots, the railway has also been damaged which has been used to transport #Russian military equipment and ammunition to #Ukraine ","username":"revishvilig","name":"Giorgi Revishvili","date":"Mon Apr 25 07:03:17 +0000 2022","photos":[{"img_url":"https://pbs.substack.com/media/FRK-xQ...Giorgi Revishvili @revishviligReportedly, in #Bryansk, in addition to the explosions of oil and ammo depots, the railway has also been damaged which has been used to transport #Russian military equipment and ammunition to #Ukraine

April 25th 2022

337 Retweets1,569 Likes

Frankly, Russia is increasingly getting its ass kicked and if the country had any sense at all, it would seek a serious peace deal and tuck tail and run back to the motherland.

Russia hasn’t even begun to get hit with U.S. artillery yet, but that’s coming, and when that happens, their troops and tanks and vehicles are in for a world of hurt.

Defense News @defense_newsThe 50 trainees will return to Ukraine to train the rest of the artillery force. Small group of Ukrainian troops begins training on US howitzersThe 50 trainees will return to Ukraine to train the rest of the artillery force.defensenews.com

April 23rd 2022

12 Retweets36 Likes

Ukraine has already begun reclaiming some of its land.

Michael MacKay @mhmckThe Armed Forces of Ukraine carried out a successful counteroffensive north of Kharkiv, liberating the settlements of Bezruky, Slatyne and Prudyanka from the Russian fascist invaders.

April 23rd 2022

1,559 Retweets11,663 Likes

Moving along, I had mentioned in a previous newsletter that the Department of Defense was looking to field a new rifle and light machine gun. More news of that broke this week.

#Army is getting new arms for the force.\n\nRead the full story about these two Next Generation Squad Weapon variations (the XM5 Rifle and the XM250 Automatic Rifle) and the 6.8 Common Cartridge Family of Ammunition.\n\n➡️ go.usa.gov/xuBeS ","username":"USArmy","name":"U.S. Army","date":"Wed Apr 20 19:04:01 +0000 2022","photos":[{"img_url":"https://pbs.substack.com/media/FQzzyU...U.S. Army @USArmyThe #Army is getting new arms for the force.Read the full story about these two Next Generation Squad Weapon variations (the XM5 Rifle and the XM250 Automatic Rifle) and the 6.8 Common Cartridge Family of Ammunition.➡️ go.usa.gov/xuBeS

April 20th 2022

265 Retweets947 Likes

Let’s end this edition with plenty of motivation and wisdom.

Life Quotes @RTLifeQuotesTo guarantee success, act as if it were impossible to fail. – Dorothea Brande

April 26th 2022

11 Retweets40 Likes #Motivational","username":"IMQuotes_Videos","name":"Inspired Motivation Quotes","date":"Mon Apr 25 14:00:14 +0000 2022","photos":[],"quoted_tweet":{},"retweet_count":62,"like_count":124,"expanded_url":{},"video_url":null}">Inspired Motivation Quotes @IMQuotes_VideosChange your language to “what if it does work out.” Believe in possibilities. Think of the best case scenario. Retraining your mind will lift you out of the overthinking, stress, and worry of negative thoughts. Change starts with your mindset. Shift it. Switch it.#Motivational

April 25th 2022

62 Retweets124 LikesSuccess Minded @_SuccessMinded_"You become what you believe."

April 24th 2022

503 Retweets2,647 LikesInspirational Quotes @TheQuoteBoook_Focus more on the people who inspire you rather than annoy you. You’ll get much further in life.

April 25th 2022

1,353 Retweets5,189 LikesMotivational Quotes @motivation_qotMindset matters a lot. You better improve it.

April 25th 2022

18 Retweets67 LikesFearless Motivation @fearlessmotivatShips don't sink because of the water around them, they sink because of the water that gets inside them...

April 24th 2022

45 Retweets146 Likes

That’s it for this edition. Want to talk to me directly? Email me at the following address: authorstanrmitchell@yahoo.com. I love hearing feedback, compliments, and even constructive criticism. : ) 

As a reminder, please be kind and endeavor to love your fellow Americans. We need to pull this country together, and that starts with all of us.

Don’t forget to also please consider signing up for email notifications if you’re just a visitor dropping by. That will make sure you don’t miss any future editions. Or you can help support my work by subscribing and paying $5 per month. It’s like throwing a few bucks into a hat. Here’s why you should, and you can pause it at any time.

My newsletter is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, please consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

The view from the front: military matters and motivation. is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

As always, please share this post if you enjoyed it! And I welcome any and all respectful comments below.

Thank you for reading The view from the front: military matters and motivation. This post is public so feel free to share it.

Share

You can also tell others about the newsletter in general. Please consider sharing on your facebook page or other social media platform (or even emailing a friend who you know when enjoy it).

Share The view from the front: military matters and motivation.

Semper Fidelis,

Stan R. Mitchell

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 leadership/biography book, and two realistic war novels: one about World War IIand one about Afghanistan.

And here’s a short bio about me and what I’m trying to do with the newsletter. And if you’d like to support me, you can subscribe to my newsletter for $5 per month (it comes out twice a week). Or, you can check out my books at this link: http://amzn.to/3p6lAnQ. I’ve sold 70,000-plus copies and had thousands of reviews on Amazon and Goodreads. I’m confident you’ll enjoy them.

The Stan R. Mitchell report for 4/22/22.

Happy Friday, everyone! Hope everyone has had a great week and has something fun planned for the weekend! (Make sure you click the blue link to go to the actual page, as I’m quite certain the newsletter will be cut off in your email.)

Full post without it cutoff.

I wrote in quite a bit of detail about the defenders of the Azovstal steel plant in Mariupol as a part of my last newsletter. When we last left off of this conversation, the defenders were surrounded, running out of ammunition, and likely running out of time.

But since then, Russia has decided to give up trying to take the steel plant. Rather, the plan is to cut it off and starve out the defenders.

CNN @CNNPutin scraps plan to storm a steel plant in Mariupol where last Ukrainian forces are holding out, in favor of an ongoing blockade Putin scraps plan to storm steel plant in MariupolRussian President Vladimir Putin orders blockade of Mariupol steel plant “so a fly cannot get through” as Ukrainian forces continue to resist.cnn.it

April 21st 2022

52 Retweets208 Likes

The situation there is still unbelievably challenging and potentially dire, but this is good news in my opinion. Certainly better than a successful assault by Russia that would have led to more deaths and likely worse for those who survived.

So, Putin giving up is in my estimation a brief respite while Ukraine tries to figure out how to re-supply the troops and civilians in the plant.

And I do think this is happening somehow, though I’m not sure how. Part of why I say this is from the clip below.

NowThis @nowthisnewsICYMI: Pres. Biden said there’s 'no evidence yet' that Mariupol, Ukraine, has completely fallen to Russian forces — and called on Pres. Vladimir Putin to allow for humanitarian corridors for civilians to flee the city

April 22nd 2022

14 Retweets46 Likes

It’s almost as if President Biden knows more than he can say.

If I had to guess, I’d say there’s some kind of resupply happening by sea or something. Or maybe even by large drones or something. (They do, after all, make a drone that can carry 500 pounds of supplies; and that was a civilian version on a video from a year ago.)

There’s also this new fact.

Shashank Joshi @shashj“the sinking of the Moskva has caused Russian warships to push themselves further offshore in order to avoid missile attacks. This transitions what had been a relatively close blockade to a far blockade & potentially opens up the seas for Ukrainian small craft to begin operating”

April 21st 2022

7 Retweets80 Likes

Regardless, let’s continue to hope and pray that some kind of rescue comes their way.

The Russians partly pulled their troops away from the Azovstal steel plant so they could focus on their larger plans. From a grand scheme, here’s what the Russians are partly trying to do.

Illia Ponomarenko 🇺🇦 @IAPonomarenkoHere’s a very, very basic map that will help you understand the Battle of Donbas now. The Red is the Russians, the blue is the Ukrainians. As you can see, the enemy is trying to pinch off a Ukrainian salient with two major strikes from the north and the south.

April 22nd 2022

3,131 Retweets12,805 Likes

This is the Donbas region just north of Mariupol.

wapo.st/3EzjOTP ","username":"washingtonpost","name":"The Washington Post","date":"Thu Apr 21 21:11:21 +0000 2022","photos":[{"img_url":"https://pbs.substack.com/media/FQ5aHr... of eastern Ukraine showing Russian-held areas and troop movement"}],"quoted_tweet":{},"retweet_count":61,"like_count":107,"expanded_url":{},"video_url":null}">The Washington Post @washingtonpostCapturing Mariupol would connect mainland Russia to Crimea, the peninsula it annexed from Ukraine in 2014. This could help link its forces in Crimea to Russian-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine. wapo.st/3EzjOTP

April 21st 2022

61 Retweets107 Likes

But the other plan by the Russians now is to push further west in the southern area toward Odessa, making a large landbridge (as we’ve discussed in previous editions).

Helping to make sure this won’t happen was a new round of help from the United States. President Biden announced $1.3 billion in new military and economic assistance to Ukraine on Thursday. From the story:

The latest package of U.S. military assistance, the eighth such installment, includes 72 howitzers, 144,000 rounds of ammunition, dozens of tactical vehicles and more than 120 Phoenix Ghost tactical drones. An additional $800 million is going toward military assistance, Biden said, while an additional $500 million is going toward direct economic assistance to the Ukrainian government.

It’s the artillery that we’re sending that will ultimately doom the Russians, in both my opinion and many other military strategists.

The Washington Post @washingtonpostThe Pentagon says it will resume direct training of the Ukrainian military, which had largely stopped with the Russian invasion of Ukraine seven weeks ago. Pentagon will bolster weapons training for Ukrainians as aid expandsPresident Biden on Wednesday authorized an additional $800 million in security assistance for Ukraine, arms transfers that will come with U.S.-provided training for small groups of Ukrainian troops.wapo.st

April 13th 2022

238 Retweets969 Likes

The U.S. has already announced that it will begin stepping up its intel sharing to stop Russian attacks “and to enable the Ukrainians to respond with artillery, drone attacks.”

Back to the artillery, here’s a must-read overview of how that will ultimately help crush the Russians. (Here’s the link in case the screenshots are hard to read.)

It will take some time to tell, but I don’t think I’d want to be on the other end of ANY of that artillery.

Sorry for the long post. I hope you’ve enjoyed it. Let’s end with some motivation and wisdom.

Motivational Quotes @therandomvibezDon't rush the process. Good things take time.

April 22nd 2022

59 Retweets254 Likes Success Minded @_SuccessMinded_You didn't come this far just to quit.You are closer than you think you are. Don't give up now.

April 21st 2022

146 Retweets724 Likes

That’s it for this edition. Want to talk to me directly? Email me at the following address: authorstanrmitchell@yahoo.com. I love hearing feedback, compliments, and even constructive criticism. : ) 

As a reminder, please be kind and endeavor to love your fellow Americans. We need to pull this country together, and that starts with all of us.

Don’t forget to also please consider signing up for email notifications if you’re just a visitor dropping by. That will make sure you don’t miss any future editions. Or you can help support my work by subscribing and paying $5 per month. It’s like throwing a few bucks into a hat. Here’s why you should, and you can pause it at any time.

My newsletter is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, please consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

As always, please share this post if you enjoyed it! And I welcome any and all respectful comments below.

Share

Semper Fidelis,

Stan R. Mitchell

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 leadership/biography book, and two realistic war novels: one about World War II and one about Afghanistan.

And here’s a short bio about me and what I’m trying to do with the newsletter. And if you’d like to support me, you can subscribe to my newsletter for $5 per month (it comes out twice a week). Or, you can check out my books at this link: http://amzn.to/3p6lAnQ. I’ve sold 70,000-plus copies and had thousands of reviews on Amazon and Goodreads. I’m confident you’ll enjoy them.

The Stan R. Mitchell report for 4/19/22.

Happy Tuesday, everyone! Hope your week is off to a great start!

Full post without it being cutoff.

There’s not been a lot of military news since Friday, so I thought I’d dedicate the majority of this newsletter (minus the motivation and wisdom at the bottom) to the brave defenders of Mariupol.

Mariupol is a besieged city in Ukraine, which is surrounded by Russian forces and has been under brutal attack since Russia invaded Ukraine in late February — almost eight weeks ago.

You can see the city below, in the middle part on the right side of the graphic (on the coast).

#Russia's invasion of #Ukraine from @TheStudyofWar and @criticalthreats. Axis-specific maps will follow. ","username":"TheStudyofWar","name":"ISW","date":"Mon Apr 18 22:24:23 +0000 2022","photos":[{"img_url":"https://pbs.substack.com/media/FQqOdt...ISW @TheStudyofWarHere is today's control-of-terrain map for #Russia's invasion of #Ukraine from @TheStudyofWar and @criticalthreats. Axis-specific maps will follow.

April 18th 2022

239 Retweets633 Likes

The defenders have little to no ammunition. They have been taking ammunition off of dead soldiers, as well as some they’ve gotten into the city from smuggling.

But that ammunition is running out (or almost out). One British volunteer recently had to surrender because they ran out of ammunition.

#Mariupol says they have now surrendered to Russia. ","username":"liz_cookman","name":"Liz Cookman","date":"Tue Apr 12 07:22:11 +0000 2022","photos":[],"quoted_tweet":{"full_text":"We've gotten word from Johnny. \"It's been 48 days, we tried our best to defend Mariupol but we have no choice but to surrender to Russian forces. We have no food and no ammunition. It's been a pleasure everyone, I hope this war ends soon.\"","username":"cossackgundi","name":"COSSACKGUNDI"},"retweet_count":22,"like_count":30,"expanded_url":{},"video_url":null}">Liz Cookman @liz_cookmanA British soldier fighting for Ukrainian forces in #Mariupol says they have now surrendered to Russia.

COSSACKGUNDI @cossackgundi

We've gotten word from Johnny. "It's been 48 days, we tried our best to defend Mariupol but we have no choice but to surrender to Russian forces. We have no food and no ammunition. It's been a pleasure everyone, I hope this war ends soon."

April 12th 2022

22 Retweets30 Likes

Here’s more about him here:

World News 24 @DailyWorld24Another UK mercenary Captured in Mariupol region: British mercenary with Ukrainian 36th Marine Brigade in Mariupol he surrendered to Russian soldiers, 28-year-old, from Newark in Nottinghamshire, walked through the ruins of a steel plant in the southern city, where he had been

April 16th 2022

9 Retweets10 Likes

The Russians, being complete barbarians, bashed him in the head a few times, according to information from his family.

COSSACKGUNDI @cossackgundiA better shot of the bashing they gave Aiden. So far they're going through what we expected with recorded statements. Russian media are taking a victory lap. Perfectly happy for them to do that if it keeps my friend alive.

April 15th 2022

283 Retweets3,395 Likes

But so far they haven’t killed him. And as I was writing this, word broke of another British soldier who had surrendered.

trib.al/vM0VszR ","username":"nypost","name":"New York Post","date":"Sun Apr 17 22:21:04 +0000 2022","photos":[{"img_url":"https://pbs.substack.com/media/FQlEHk...New York Post @nypostSecond British soldier captured in Mariupol paraded on Russian TV trib.al/vM0VszR

April 17th 2022

113 Retweets228 Likes

Hopefully, with the video of these two alive, they won’t be executed. But there are dozens, if not hundreds, of other Ukrainians still fighting. (Or trying to fight with what ammunition that they have.) It’s very difficult to get word out from the city.

The Russians are down to taking one final part of Mariupol:

#Mariupol. Surrounded from all sides, but still standing under #Ukraine flags. We hope and we pray. And we believe. #StandWithUkraine for peace in the world ","username":"lesiavasylenko","name":"Lesia Vasylenko","date":"Tue Apr 19 14:29:33 +0000 2022","photos":[{"img_url":"https://pbs.substack.com/media/FQtrYB...Lesia Vasylenko @lesiavasylenkoHeroic #Mariupol. Surrounded from all sides, but still standing under #Ukraine flags. We hope and we pray. And we believe. #StandWithUkraine for peace in the world

April 19th 2022

799 Retweets4,011 Likes

The member of Parliament above is pointing out what even The Washington Post has written about: an epic steel plant built decades ago to withstand nuclear bomb blasts.

The Washington Post @washingtonpostHow a Mariupol steel plant became a holdout for the city’s resistance How a Mariupol steel plant became a holdout for the city’s resistanceThe sprawling industrial park, now housing thousands of fighters and civilians, has a long history.wapo.st

April 19th 2022

94 Retweets300 Likes

Here’s another glimpse of it.

#Azovstal (steel plant) in #Mariupol is not your regular factory box made of sheet metal and plywood.\n\nIt's huge and was built in Soviet times and was made to safeguard workers in the event of #NuclearAttack ","username":"SovietRonin","name":"Soviet Ronin","date":"Tue Apr 19 14:25:06 +0000 2022","photos":[{"img_url":"https://pbs.substack.com/media/FQtpgt...Soviet Ronin @SovietRoninFolks should understand why #Azovstal (steel plant) in #Mariupol is not your regular factory box made of sheet metal and plywood.It's huge and was built in Soviet times and was made to safeguard workers in the event of #NuclearAttack

April 19th 2022

11 Retweets24 Likes

While I continue to worry about the defenders of Mariupol, and really all of Ukraine (but especially them), we’ll end with two glimmers of hope for them.

First, this, in which there is talk about re-supply and how long they prepared for the defense of it.

Samuel Ramani @SamRamani2This explains Azovstal's layout in greater depth. Regardless, Ukraine's resistance in Mariupol faces other challenges, such as dwindling ammunition, and Russia has apparently razed most of the rest of the city to the ground.

April 17th 2022

168 Retweets1,245 Likes

And also this from a Stars and Stripes reporter, which was posted today (a little more than an hour ago).

Caitlin Doornbos @CaitlinDoornbosU.S. does not believe it's a given that Russia will take over Mariupol and the Donbas region."People speak about this as if it's inevitable that the Mariupol's gonna fall, that it's inevitable [that] Donbas will be taken by the Russians. We don't see it that way."

April 19th 2022

25 Retweets110 Likes

At any rate, keep the proud defenders that remain in your hearts and minds (and prayers, if you’re the praying kind).

And here’s a video from one of them, that was posted a day ago but I’m betting was recorded more than a week or so ago, when times weren’t as impossibly as challenging as they are now. You can watch it in honor of them, if you please. (It’s only moderately graphic, but mostly shows soldiers just trying to survive and smile in the most hellish of conditions.)

DZENGA @grimcultzeroVideo from Frost, one of the defenders of Mariupol about his daily routine

April 18th 2022

296 Retweets836 Likes

Finally, let’s end with some motivation and wisdom.

#NeverQuit #MotivationMonday ","username":"kchawg987","name":"Kim “KC” Campbell","date":"Mon Apr 18 13:55:13 +0000 2022","photos":[{"img_url":"https://pbs.substack.com/media/FQoZ7T...Kim “KC” Campbell @kchawg987Love these words of wisdom from Margaret Thatcher to start the week: "You may have to fight a battle more than once to win it."#NeverQuit #MotivationMonday

April 18th 2022

3 Retweets6 Likes Success Minded @_SuccessMinded_Bad news: time flies. Good news: you’re the pilot.

April 19th 2022

143 Retweets645 Likes

N. M. Curry @realPatriot_7Be careful with your words. They can only be forgiven, not forgotten.

April 2nd 2022

5 Retweets20 Likes

That’s it for this edition. Want to talk to me directly? Email me at the following address: authorstanrmitchell@yahoo.com. I love hearing feedback, compliments, and even constructive criticism. : ) 

As a reminder, please be kind and endeavor to love your fellow Americans. We need to pull this country together, and that starts with all of us.

Don’t forget to also please consider signing up for email notifications if you’re just a visitor dropping by. That will make sure you don’t miss any future editions. Or you can help support my work by subscribing and paying $5 per month. It’s like throwing a few bucks into a hat. Here’s why you should, and you can pause it at any time.

Subscribe now

As always, please share this post if you enjoyed it! And I welcome any and all respectful comments below.

Share

Semper Fidelis,

Stan R. Mitchell

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 leadership/biography book, and two realistic war novels: one about World War II and one about Afghanistan.

And here’s a short bio about me and what I’m trying to do with the newsletter. And if you’d like to support me, you can subscribe to my newsletter for $5 per month (it comes out twice a week). Or, you can check out my books at this link: http://amzn.to/3p6lAnQ. I’ve sold 70,000-plus copies and had thousands of reviews on Amazon and Goodreads. I’m confident you’ll enjoy them.

The Stan R. Mitchell report for 4/15/22.

Happy Friday, everyone! Hope everyone has had a great week and is looking forward to the weekend!

Share

The wife and I got a bit of a head start on our weekend, taking a trip down to Atlanta to catch a comedy show.

#DreamBig #WorkHard #Grind ","username":"StanRMitchell","name":"Stan R. Mitchell","date":"Wed Apr 13 22:59:36 +0000 2022","photos":[{"img_url":"https://pbs.substack.com/media/FQQmkp...Stan R. Mitchell @StanRMitchellThe rewards of hard work. On the 20th floor of the Hilton in Atlanta, planning to catch a comedy act in half an hour. Got eleven books out now. Will drop a couple more this year. 2022 will be the biggest yet and I can’t wait. #DreamBig #WorkHard #Grind

April 13th 2022

12 Likes

I won’t lie, it felt really good. Both to enjoy some time together away from the busy-ness of regular home life and to really let it sink in that all my hard work is starting to pay off. And on that note, I can’t tell you how much I appreciate each and every one of your all’s support.

You can’t ever achieve anything in life worth achieving without a great team around you, and I’m fortunate to have so much support. So thanks to each of you.

While I’m talking about our short, mid-week trip, let me share one other quick item.

On our way home, a normal pitstop for fuel turned into something else, and I share this not for publicity or to brag, but to encourage you to do the same.

@StanRMitchell for showing there is still kindness in this world ","username":"jaimiejamison11","name":"Jaimie Jamison","date":"Thu Apr 14 17:09:13 +0000 2022","photos":[{"img_url":"https://pbs.substack.com/media/FQUf4A...Jaimie Jamison @jaimiejamison11Once a marine, always a marine. We were leaving Atlanta and stopped to get gas. We noticed this older man struggling and noticed he had a retired marine sticker on his car. Stan pulled over to help. Thank you @StanRMitchell for showing there is still kindness in this world

April 14th 2022

An older gentleman was having trouble trying to fill a nearly-flat tire and I was probably going to stop to help anyway. But once I saw the Marine Corps sticker of Semper Fi on the trunk, I was most definitely going to stop.

I surveyed my surroundings and made sure the situation seemed safe (wouldn’t be the first time bad guys laid a trap at a gas station on an interstate exit, right?), and once I was sure it was safe, I pulled over and assisted him. It not only felt great to help him, but I got to hear a bit about his Marine Corps service, which dated back to the Korean War.

Not that you all don’t already know this, but the reality is we’ll all be older someday, if we’re lucky enough and fortunate to make it that long, so help someone if and when you can. And maybe someday when you’re in the same situation, someone will help you, too.

Beginning with Ukraine, the biggest news since Tuesday was the sinking of Russia’s largest ship in the Black Sea.

t.me/rian_ru/158794 ","username":"SpencerGuard","name":"John Spencer","date":"Thu Apr 14 21:51:39 +0000 2022","photos":[{"img_url":"https://pbs.substack.com/media/FQVfnb...John Spencer @SpencerGuardThis is HUGE. Russia’s defense ministry admits Moskva, their flagship in Black Sea fleet, slava class cruiser, has SUNK! It was key to intelligence & air defenses for the Russian ships. IMO this is on the level big as stopping Russians from taking Kyiv. t.me/rian_ru/158794

April 14th 2022

720 Retweets4,066 Likes

The Moskva was a guided-missile cruiser, which had a crew of 500 and was more than 600 feet long. I stress the word “was” in all of that description.

The Russians provided all kinds of explanations for the loss.

NPR @NPRA Russian missile cruiser in the Black Sea has been heavily damaged and its crew evacuated. The cause of the vessel's damage is subject to conflicting accounts, with Ukraine claiming it attacked the ship.A key warship in Russia’s fleet was severely damaged. Ukraine claims responsibilityThe Moskva has been heavily damaged and its crew evacuated. The ship is the same one whose crew ordered Ukrainian troops on Snake Island to surrender — a demand that was met with profanity.n.pr

April 14th 2022

41 Retweets186 Likes

But as the tweet below points out, it’s hard to decipher what “truth” is uglier.

Paul McLeary @paulmclearyWhat’s worse: The Ukrainians sank our flagshipWe sank our own flagshipA storm sank our flagship https://t.co/261BK6Jua3

Kyle Orton @KyleWOrton

The #Russian Defence Ministry is admitting the Moskva sank, but is insisting that it did so while being towed after damage sustained in a storm. https://t.co/S7sQbSZjay

April 14th 2022

9 Retweets44 Likes

Moving to China, which has been mostly buried in all the Ukraine and Russia news of late, I came across this excellent article.

news.usni.org/2022/04/14/pan… ","username":"NavalInstitute","name":"U.S. Naval Institute","date":"Fri Apr 15 00:59:47 +0000 2022","photos":[{"img_url":"https://pbs.substack.com/media/FQWLq6...U.S. Naval Institute @NavalInstitutePanel: China Planning a 'Go Big, Go Early' Strategy Against Taiwan - USNI Newsnews.usni.org/2022/04/14/pan…

April 15th 2022

21 Retweets46 Likes

The article also goes into detail about how the island of Guam will be crucial for the defense of Taiwan.

While we’re on the subject of China, the Navy and Marine Corps did something that should be shown as a strong counter to China’s potential plans.

@caitlinmkenney: 'Carrier’ Concept Shows How Navy, Marine Corps Can Fly More F-35Bs from Amphibs defenseone.com/threats/2022/0… via @DefenseOne ","username":"DefenseOne","name":"Defense One","date":"Tue Apr 12 20:43:39 +0000 2022","photos":[{"img_url":"https://pbs.substack.com/media/FQK93j...Defense One @DefenseOneNEW from @caitlinmkenney: 'Carrier’ Concept Shows How Navy, Marine Corps Can Fly More F-35Bs from Amphibs defenseone.com/threats/2022/0… via @DefenseOne

April 12th 2022

12 Retweets16 Likes

Having spent six months on one of these ships (the USS Nassau), I can assure you that this is not what they were initially intended or designed for.

Quite remarkable that they were able to pull this off.

And one final China point, I’m hoping that China is watching very closely the economic pain that Russia is going through. China can expect much of the same reaction itself.

It’s arguably already beginning.

U.S. Naval Institute @NavalInstituteThailand may cancel a $400 million deal to buy a Yuan-class submarine from China⁠—because the sub has no engine. China told Thailand that the sub would have a German propulsion system, but the German company refused to sell it because of the EU weapons embargo imposed on China.

April 9th 2022

526 Retweets2,635 Likes

If you have absolutely no idea what I’m talking about in regards to China and Taiwan, take a glance at this:

BBC News (World) @BBCWorldA simple guide to growing conflict between China and TaiwanChina and Taiwan: A really simple guide to a growing conflictTension between China and Taiwan has risen and what happens next matters to us allbbc.in

January 12th 2022

65 Retweets235 Likes

There had been a fair amount of talk regarding China and Russia and their hyper-sonic weapons. America opened the window a bit to what it’s been doing on this topic this week.

@DefTechPat ","username":"DefenseOne","name":"Defense One","date":"Fri Apr 15 01:22:01 +0000 2022","photos":[],"quoted_tweet":{},"retweet_count":8,"like_count":21,"expanded_url":{"url":"https://buff.ly/38RqnFA","i... Martin Hopes the US Has Turned the Corner on Hypersonics","description":"March test ‘one of the biggest steps we’ve seen’ in development of new hypersonic weapons, company officials say.","domain":"buff.ly"},"video_url":null}">Defense One @DefenseOneDefense One last week sat down with representatives from Lockheed Martin at the company’s Skunk Works site in Palmdale, California, shortly after the Defense Department announced the successful test of a jet-launched cruise missile | @DefTechPat Lockheed Martin Hopes the US Has Turned the Corner on HypersonicsMarch test ‘one of the biggest steps we’ve seen’ in development of new hypersonic weapons, company officials say.buff.ly

April 15th 2022

8 Retweets21 Likes

That’s it for this edition. Let’s end with some motivation and wisdom.

#FiresStrong #TeamSill\n@USArmy @TRADOC ","username":"OfficialFtSill","name":"US Army Fort Sill","date":"Fri Apr 15 13:00:02 +0000 2022","photos":[{"img_url":"https://pbs.substack.com/media/FQYwhq...US Army Fort Sill @OfficialFtSillDo what others don't so you can achieve what others won't. 💯 #FiresStrong #TeamSill@USArmy @TRADOC

April 15th 2022

20 Retweets75 Likes#Inspiration","username":"IMQuotes_Videos","name":"Inspired Motivation Quotes","date":"Sun Apr 10 14:00:13 +0000 2022","photos":[],"quoted_tweet":{},"retweet_count":126,"like_count":280,"expanded_url":{},"video_url":null}">Inspired Motivation Quotes @IMQuotes_VideosBe so busy speaking positive things into your life that you have no time to worry or stress about what could go wrong. Your mind should be busy loving, visualizing, & creating a better reality for yourself. You have the power to do that right now. Shift your focus.#Inspiration

April 10th 2022

126 Retweets280 LikesInky Johnson @inkyjohnsonThe beauty of long hours….

April 15th 2022

244 Retweets789 Likes#Motivational","username":"IMQuotes_Videos","name":"Inspired Motivation Quotes","date":"Tue Apr 12 14:00:10 +0000 2022","photos":[],"quoted_tweet":{},"retweet_count":78,"like_count":160,"expanded_url":{},"video_url":null}">Inspired Motivation Quotes @IMQuotes_VideosBreath through it. Things will get lighter. Get out of your mental space & remember the past can no longer affect you. Let go. Find calmness & peace by immersing yourself in the moment. You’re doing all you can. Forgive yourself. You’re getting better every day.#Motivational

April 12th 2022

78 Retweets160 Likes #Motivation","username":"IMQuotes_Videos","name":"Inspired Motivation Quotes","date":"Sun Apr 10 13:00:08 +0000 2022","photos":[],"quoted_tweet":{},"retweet_count":67,"like_count":153,"expanded_url":{},"video_url":null}">Inspired Motivation Quotes @IMQuotes_VideosWhen you believe in your dreams, when you have strong work ethic, when you are possessed with sheer passion, your enthusiasm becomes infectious, people will line up to work with you, to follow you, to share your passion. Success will follow, happiness will follow.#Motivation

April 10th 2022

67 Retweets153 Likes

That’s it for this edition. Want to talk to me directly? Email me at the following address: authorstanrmitchell@yahoo.com. I love hearing feedback, compliments, and even constructive criticism. : ) 

As a reminder, please be kind and endeavor to love your fellow Americans. We need to pull this country together, and that starts with all of us.

Don’t forget to also please consider signing up for email notifications if you’re just a visitor dropping by. That will make sure you don’t miss any future editions. Or you can help support my work by subscribing and paying $5 per month. It’s like throwing a few bucks into a hat. Here’s why you should, and you can pause it at any time.

Subscribe now

As always, please share this post if you enjoyed it! And I welcome any and all respectful comments below.

Share

Semper Fidelis,

Stan R. Mitchell

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 leadership/biography book, and two realistic war novels: one about World War II and one about Afghanistan.

And here’s a short bio about me and what I’m trying to do with the newsletter. And if you’d like to support me, you can subscribe to my newsletter for $5 per month (it comes out twice a week). Or, you can check out my books at this link: http://amzn.to/3p6lAnQ. I’ve sold 70,000-plus copies and had thousands of reviews on Amazon and Goodreads. I’m confident you’ll enjoy them.

The Stan R. Mitchell report for 4/12/22.

Happy Tuesday, everyone! Hope everyone’s week is off to a great start!

I wanted to start this edition by sharing the remarkable video of Britain’s Prime Minister Boris Johnson making a surprise visit to Kyiv, Ukraine.

I’m not much of a fan of Boris, but the video is sooooo inspiring to watch.

Do watch it if you haven’t gotten a moment. Especially the interaction Boris has with a local resident.

But the video is also proof that you can always keep fighting and improve your reputation and standing.

Without question, the spine showed by Britain during this invasion — from the beginning — has been incredible.

ian bremmer @ianbremmerzelensky and johnson walking around kyiv. hell of a message to the ukrainian people…and the world

April 9th 2022

2,892 Retweets18,047 Likes

With the war shifting east, away from the capital and to the wide and open plains, the types of weapons that Ukraine will need have changed.

In The Washington Post story below, Boris pledged 120 more armored vehicles, in addition to harpoon anti-ship missiles to keep the Russian Navy at bay.

Stan R. Mitchell @StanRMitchellThe West is shifting its posture of arming the Ukrainians: from defensive to offensive weapons. What weapons to send to Ukraine? How debate shifted from helmets to tanks.What NATO countries supply now will shape the war.washingtonpost.com

April 10th 2022

3 Retweets6 Likes

The article described the changing war in excellent detail. From the report:

Russian forces are repositioning for a fight over eastern Ukraine — what many predict will be full-scale confrontation on flat, open, rural terrain, between infantry, armor, and artillery, in the kind of engagements not seen in generations.

“To win such a war, we need different help than what we have been receiving before,” said Ukraine’s defense minister, Oleksii Reznikov, in a video appeal released Thursday. “We want to liberate the enemy-occupied territories as soon as possible. To do this, we need other weapons.”

Reznikov ticked off a longer list: air defense systems and combat aircraft to protect citizens and Ukrainian troops from missiles and airstrikes; long-range artillery to keep Russian forces at a distance; tanks and armored vehicles to break through Russian defenses and liberate the occupied territories; and anti-ship missiles to beat back the Russian naval siege and unblock ports on the Black Sea.

Let’s hope the West keeps its foot on the pedal in supplying Ukraine. What they are going through is so horrific and barbaric that it almost defies description.

On the topic of how horrific it is, you can’t help but wonder how the Russian people keep supporting this madness. And as only Twitter can seem to do these days, that answer was provided. See below:

Professor Olga Chyzh @olga_chyzhWhy do so many Russian-speakers support Putin and this war? Still. Even in Ukraine (though their number is declining). And in other former satellites, or even Canada and the US. Why? How? WHY?It’s not just the Kremlin propaganda. Let me tell you a deeply personal story. 1/n

April 9th 2022

13,438 Retweets41,504 Likes

Here’s the entire thread, which is absolutely worth the read. It’s so eye-opening. For me, anyway, it finally makes a little more sense.

When Russian missiles hit my hometown of Odesa on Feb 24, my mom jumped on the first bus out of the country. Her obvious destination was Moldova—because of geographical proximity, but also, because our family lived there until 1995 when we moved to Ukraine.

My mom has a network of friends there—Russian-speakers who, unlike our family, still live in Moldova. From the bus, she called her old friend—I’ll call her Tanya—who still lives in Moldova, and asked if she could spend the night—she could only find a hotel room for the day after.

Tanya was irritated. It was her birthday, and my mom’s unexpected visit was at an bad time. The Russian invasion shook up the entire world, forcing millions of Ukrainians to walk over the border with Moldova in the middle of winter—and Tanya was having a party!

Tanya is not a monster (at least not fulltime)—she is a highly educated woman that plays the piano and casually quotes Russian literature in everyday conversations. But if you ask her about the Bucha massacre, she’ll tell you it didn’t happen.

There are millions like her in Moldova, Ukraine, Russia itself, and even in Western countries like Germany, Canada and the US. We call them the "deceived generation," the last victims of Soviet propaganda.

The break-up of the USSR marked the start of nation-building (actually re-building), pitting Russian minorities against the ethnic majorities. After more than 50 years of repression (think Bucha), the ethnic majorities finally got a say in the politics of their own states.

This nation-building consisted of downplaying or outright rejecting everything Soviet (read Russian) in favor of national (Moldovan, Ukrainian), and the corresponding change in the distribution of power and wealth.

All of a sudden, ethnic Russians who refused to learn the national language, started getting passed over for promotions in favor of those (including ethnic Russians) who spoke the national language.

In Moldova where I lived, everything around me—TV programming, store signs, street signs, and ever street names—changed from Russian to Romanian.

Other changes included an increase in the hours of Romanian (in schools for Russian-speakers, like the one I attended), as well as the content of literature and history classes.

I was a child, so none of this was a big deal. I quickly picked up Romanian, as children do. For the Russian-speaking adults, however, it was not so easy. It is difficult to learn a completely new language as an adult. But the real obstacle was the hubris.

Decades of Soviet propaganda (backed with repression) taught the ethnic Russians about their undeniable superiority over everyone else. Why should they learn some backward language like Romanian or Ukrainian if Russian is the “purest and the most beautiful language”?

How and why should they accept a government made up of non-Russians? And anyway, there was no point in trying, because Russia was going to come back and re-absorb all the former satellites soon enough, setting everything back how it was.

I kid you not, these were the conversations I listened to as a kid in our Russian-speaking circle of friends. More surprisingly, these are the conversations I still hear (even from my own relatives) today, 30 years later.

These people still hope that Russia will come to save them from the “inferior” national majorities AND give them their coveted Russian pension. These people are still waiting for Russia to give back the money they lost (na knijke) when the Soviet Union broke up.

These people did not cause the Russian invasion—contrary to what they think, protecting them is the last thing on Putin’s mind (he doesn’t actually want to pay them pensions). But these people are complicit in the crimes being committed against Ukrainians.

Deep down, they know that the Bucha massacre did happen—they just don’t care, because the victims are “inferior.” Just ask them about Russian crimes in Chechnya.

I’m going to keep the news portion short today. I really do hope you take the time to watch the video above and read the full explanation provided above.

The video will move you and you truly need to understand the Russian reasoning explained above.

One final reminder of our own country’s sacrifices, here’s today’s “lest we forget:”

U.S. Naval Institute @NavalInstituteToday is National Submarine Day. During WWII, 263 U.S. Navy submarines deployed on war patrols. This image of 52 submarines in the Pacific Reserve Fleet at Mare Island in 1946 represents the same number of subs that went on eternal patrol after being lost in the war.

April 12th 2022

127 Retweets478 Likes

Finally, let’s end with some motivation and wisdom.

#Inspiration","username":"IMQuotes_Videos","name":"Inspired Motivation Quotes","date":"Sun Apr 10 14:00:13 +0000 2022","photos":[],"quoted_tweet":{},"retweet_count":124,"like_count":276,"expanded_url":{},"video_url":null}">Inspired Motivation Quotes @IMQuotes_VideosBe so busy speaking positive things into your life that you have no time to worry or stress about what could go wrong. Your mind should be busy loving, visualizing, & creating a better reality for yourself. You have the power to do that right now. Shift your focus.#Inspiration

April 10th 2022

124 Retweets276 Likes

One final thing. I’d love some feedback. Would you prefer more motivation and wisdom in each newsletter? (I could easily do 7 or 8 or even more.) Or is two to three about right?

If you don’t want to comment below, you can email me at: authorstanrmitchell@yahoo.com. (Or, you’re welcome to provide any other feedback.) I love hearing feedback, compliments, and even constructive criticism. : )

That’s it for this edition. As a reminder, please be kind and endeavor to love your fellow Americans. We need to pull this country together, and that starts with all of us.

Don’t forget to also please consider signing up for email notifications if you’re just a visitor dropping by. That will make sure you don’t miss any future editions. Or you can help support my work by subscribing and paying $5 per month. It’s like throwing a few bucks into a hat. Here’s why you should, and you can pause it at any time.

Subscribe now

As always, please share this post if you enjoyed it! And I welcome any and all respectful comments below.

Share

Semper Fidelis,

Stan R. Mitchell

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 leadership/biography book, and two realistic war novels: one about World War II and one about Afghanistan.

And here’s a short bio about me and what I’m trying to do with the newsletter. And if you’d like to support me, you can subscribe to my newsletter for $5 per month (it comes out twice a week). Or, you can check out my books at this link: http://amzn.to/3p6lAnQ. I’ve sold 70,000-plus copies and had thousands of reviews on Amazon and Goodreads. I’m confident you’ll enjoy them.

The Stan R. Mitchell report for 4/8/22.

Happy Friday, everyone! Hope everyone has had a great week and is looking forward to the weekend!

A few quick things about the situation in Ukraine.

First, here’s a summary of all that the United States has sent to Ukraine to date.

Paul McLeary @paulmclearyIn a new accounting of Ukraine military aid, DoD says it has sent: Over 1,400 StingersOver 5,000 JavelinsOver 7,000 other anti-armor systems And the interesting bit, "hundreds of Switchblade Tactical Unmanned Aerial Systems." Last count was 100 Switchblades

April 7th 2022

39 Retweets103 Likes

Secondly, Ukraine got a huge boost with the delivery of the newest defensive weapon system.

Paul Cogan @PaulCoganBritish-made Harpoon anti-ship missiles are already in Odesa, South Ukraine.With the range of 50 miles, these missiles will hopefully put an end to Russian sea superiority.

April 7th 2022

40 Retweets117 Likes

Finally, Ukraine also received some tanks for the first time, which will do much to help it fight off the invaders. (These are Soviet-style tanks that the Ukrainians already know how to use.)

Visegrád 24 @visegrad24The Czech Republic has become the first country to donate tanks to Ukraine.Czech Deputy Defense Minister Tomáš Kopečný says that the country has sent more than a dozen modernized, Soviet-designed T-72M tanks. Time for NATO to send those S-300s and MiG-29s too! 🇨🇿🇺🇦

April 5th 2022

2,871 Retweets16,085 Likes

Here’s a short piece on what the Russians are now trying to do, as they try to cut off Ukrainian forces in the east.

@MarkHertling explains why the Russian military is focusing on the cities of Izyum and Slovyansk in eastern Ukraine and how the war on the ground is changing in the region. ","username":"CNN","name":"CNN","date":"Wed Apr 06 19:29:02 +0000 2022","photos":[{"img_url":"https://cdn.substack.com/image/upload...CNN @CNNRetired Lt. Gen. @MarkHertling explains why the Russian military is focusing on the cities of Izyum and Slovyansk in eastern Ukraine and how the war on the ground is changing in the region.

April 6th 2022

310 Retweets1,303 Likes

One final nugget about Russia, as we try to even imagine how all of this ends. Everyone keeps hoping that Russia might shed itself of Putin, but we’re also seeing that a lot of soldiers are okay with the atrocities, and a lot of people are okay with Putin.

Partly, this is incessant propaganda and a lack of factual information. And partly, this is how many of us would probably feel if America suffered a collapse and lost much of its territory.

We would want that back, just as the Russians blame the West, and even Ukraine, for their problems now.

Adding weight to the challenges of overthrowing or removing Putin is the graphic below.

Ben Judah @b_judahHave been seeing a lot of wild fantasies about the “final breakup” of Russia going around which is why I’m sharing this map of the territories of the Russian Federation where ethnic Russians are a minority.

April 8th 2022

23 Retweets105 Likes

Most of Russia is made up of actual “Russians” and most of Russia actually supports this war against Ukraine. That’s what we have to come to grips with.

While we have spent a lot of time focusing on Russia, it’s important to remember that Russia isn’t the larger, looming problem.

I’ve written about China since the launching of this glorious (and I do mean GLORIOUS) newsletter more than seven months ago.

Here’s your reminder that they remain the larger potential problem long term.

defenseone.com/threats/2022/0… my latest for @DefenseOne","username":"DefTechPat","name":"Patrick Tucker","date":"Thu Apr 07 16:09:14 +0000 2022","photos":[],"quoted_tweet":{},"retweet_count":7,"like_count":15,"expanded_url":{"url":"https://www.defenseone.com/threats/20... Today’s Russia Problem Mustn’t Distract from Tomorrow’s China Problem","description":"An increasingly complex security environment is complicating the Pentagon’s efforts to ease tech firms’ frustrations.","domain":"defenseone.com"},"video_url":null}">Patrick Tucker @DefTechPatHicks: Today’s Russia Problem Mustn’t Distract from Tomorrow’s China Problem defenseone.com/threats/2022/0… my latest for @DefenseOneHicks: Today’s Russia Problem Mustn’t Distract from Tomorrow’s China ProblemAn increasingly complex security environment is complicating the Pentagon’s efforts to ease tech firms’ frustrations.defenseone.com

April 7th 2022

7 Retweets15 Likes

Moving along, I’ve mentioned Rep. Elaine Luria in a couple of previous newsletters, and here she is again, just flat holding the line.

The clip below is just remarkable to watch. (And also includes some very relevant info on the potential for conflict with China.)

@thejointstaff regarding his annual risk assessment: You haven’t submitted it. We need it. That’s why it’s the law. You didn’t submit it last year, as required by law. ","username":"RepElaineLuria","name":"Rep. Elaine Luria","date":"Tue Apr 05 18:06:57 +0000 2022","photos":[{"img_url":"https://cdn.substack.com/image/upload...Rep. Elaine Luria @RepElaineLuriaMy points to @thejointstaff regarding his annual risk assessment: You haven’t submitted it. We need it. That’s why it’s the law. You didn’t submit it last year, as required by law.

April 5th 2022

2 Retweets10 Likes

I covered in the previous newsletter how two dozen prior Marine Corps Generals are opposed to the direction currently being taken.

The current leaders have finally realized the probably need to respond and explain a bit.

Military.com @MilitarydotcomAfter a Barrage of Editorials and Critiques, Marine Leaders Defend Restructuring Plan After a Barrage of Editorials and Critiques, Marine Leaders Defend Restructuring PlanMarine Corps leaders have come out with a strong defense of their future vision for the service, known broadly as Force Design 2030.bit.ly

April 6th 2022

4 Retweets11 Likes

Let’s end with some motivation and wisdom.

#ThursdayMotivation ","username":"IMQuotes_Videos","name":"Inspired Motivation Quotes","date":"Thu Apr 07 12:00:15 +0000 2022","photos":[{"img_url":"https://pbs.substack.com/media/FPvWH4...Inspired Motivation Quotes @IMQuotes_VideosMistakes and failures are opportunities to learn and grow.#ThursdayMotivation

April 7th 2022

85 Retweets194 Likes#Music","username":"IMQuotes_Videos","name":"Inspired Motivation Quotes","date":"Thu Apr 07 16:00:03 +0000 2022","photos":[],"quoted_tweet":{},"retweet_count":58,"like_count":147,"expanded_url":{},"video_url":null}">Inspired Motivation Quotes @IMQuotes_Videos“One good thing about music, when it hits you, you feel no pain.” -- Bob Marley#Music

April 7th 2022

58 Retweets147 Likes@Ranal55: There are many things that will kill your dreams; you have to be prepared to defeat them all.\n\n#quote #quotesmith55 #dreams #preparation #FridayFundamentals ","username":"WillaBlair","name":"Willa Blair","date":"Wed Apr 06 21:15:02 +0000 2022","photos":[{"img_url":"https://pbs.substack.com/media/FPQ23E...Willa Blair @WillaBlairRT @Ranal55: There are many things that will kill your dreams; you have to be prepared to defeat them all.#quote #quotesmith55 #dreams #preparation #FridayFundamentals

April 6th 2022

25 Retweets44 Likes Motivational Quotes @spreadcheer1Your struggle is real. But so is your immense strength. You're not helpless although you're dispirited in this moment. Feeling low is okay. Everyone has phases of self-doubt. The sooner you embrace inner power & confidence, the sooner your life starts showing sign of advancement.

April 4th 2022

38 Retweets125 Likes

That’s it for this edition. As a reminder, please be kind and endeavor to love your fellow Americans. We need to pull this country together, and that starts with all of us.

Don’t forget to also please consider signing up for email notifications if you’re just a visitor dropping by. That will make sure you don’t miss any future editions. Or you can help support my work by subscribing and paying $5 per month. It’s like throwing a few bucks into a hat. Here’s why you should, and you can pause it at any time.

Subscribe now

As always, please share this post if you enjoyed it! And I welcome any and all respectful comments below.

Share

Semper Fidelis,

Stan R. Mitchell

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 leadership/biography book, and two realistic war novels: one about World War II and one about Afghanistan.

And here’s a short bio about me and what I’m trying to do with the newsletter. And if you’d like to support me, you can subscribe to my newsletter for $5 per month (it comes out twice a week). Or, you can check out my books at this link: http://amzn.to/3p6lAnQ. I’ve sold 70,000-plus copies and had thousands of reviews on Amazon and Goodreads. I’m confident you’ll enjoy them.

The Stan R. Mitchell report for 4/5/22.

Happy Tuesday, everyone! Hope your week is off to a great start!

The most shocking news since my last newsletter was the discovery of executed civilians in the town of Bucha. More than 400, with some found with their arms bound behind their backs and executed.

The Russian government immediately claimed it was all false, blaming the Ukrainians for using actors and staged media tours. But those statements fell apart within hours.

#Bucha bodies weren’t there when they left - @nytimes \n#BUCHA #Ukraine \n","username":"holmescnn","name":"Michael Holmes","date":"Mon Apr 04 20:43:23 +0000 2022","photos":[],"quoted_tweet":{},"retweet_count":37,"like_count":90,"expanded_url":{"url":"https://www.nytimes.com/2022/04/04/wo... images show bodies lay in Bucha for weeks, despite Russian claims.","description":"The images rebut Russia’s claim that the killing of civilians in Bucha, near Kyiv, took place after its soldiers had left town.","domain":"nytimes.com"},"video_url":null}">Michael Holmes @holmescnnSatellite images refute Russian claims #Bucha bodies weren’t there when they left - @nytimes #BUCHA #Ukraine Satellite images show bodies lay in Bucha for weeks, despite Russian claims.The images rebut Russia’s claim that the killing of civilians in Bucha, near Kyiv, took place after its soldiers had left town.nytimes.com

April 4th 2022

37 Retweets90 Likes

With both visual footage from satellites, as well as the length of time the bodies had been decomposing.

President Biden stated that he thinks there should be a war crimes trial for the atrocities.

bbc.in/3NP0Pcg ","username":"BBCWorld","name":"BBC News (World)","date":"Tue Apr 05 13:47:14 +0000 2022","photos":[{"img_url":"https://cdn.substack.com/image/upload...BBC News (World) @BBCWorldBiden calls for Putin to face war crimes trial after Ukrainian killingsbbc.in/3NP0Pcg

April 5th 2022

224 Retweets1,199 Likes

It’s hard for me to wrap my head around all of these murders and attacks on civilians (Rape as a weapon: huge scale of sexual violence inflicted in Ukraine emerges). You can’t put it all on Putin, as he isn’t in control of each soldier’s actions.

Partly, I think it’s an undisciplined army, with poor leadership.

But there’s something deeper here, too. There was a viral video on Twitter that was made before the war even happened. And you can see the hatred and disgust that many Russian feel toward Ukrainians. (“Khokhol” carries a negative connotation and is mainly used by Russians to address Ukrainians.)

@disarmonia I’ve added subtitles. ","username":"wonderfulpyos","name":"Kona","date":"Sat Apr 02 17:19:40 +0000 2022","photos":[{"img_url":"https://cdn.substack.com/image/upload...Kona @wonderfulpyos@disarmonia I’ve added subtitles.

April 2nd 2022

976 Retweets1,866 Likes

As the previous tweet to this one said, which I’m not sharing because it lacks subtitles, “Nobody is forcing these people to act like this, to use slurs, to tell this Ukrainian man they hate us as soon as they see him. They are pretty much anonymous on the internet. Putin is not forcing them. Nobody is paying them. They just hate. Hate.”

Obviously, some Russians have protested the war. And some Russians have family ties across the border. But these horrors (and this video) cause me to wonder if there isn’t more hatred than we initially suspected between the two countries. Who, after all, have been at war with each other since 2014.

Moving away from such unpleasantness and horror, I mentioned in the last newsletter that Virginia Congresswoman Elaine Luria blasted the Navy for its upcoming budget, which cuts the number of ships down. (If you missed it, you really need to go read it here: The Stan R. Mitchell report for 4/1/22.)

Now, it appears Congress may turn down the Navy’s request.

news.usni.org/2022/04/04/con… ","username":"USNINews","name":"USNI News","date":"Tue Apr 05 00:02:58 +0000 2022","photos":[{"img_url":"https://pbs.substack.com/media/FPiexM...USNI News @USNINewsCongress May Reject Navy's Proposal to End LPD-17 Flight II Line, Lawmakers Say - USNI Newsnews.usni.org/2022/04/04/con…

April 5th 2022

5 Retweets26 Likes

If you read the story, you’ll see in many ways, this is a Navy versus Marine Corps battle. The very ships the Navy wants to cut are the top priority for the Marine Corps. (This is quite similar to when the Air Force wants to cut planes used for ground support and focus instead on fighters or other “more sexy” projects than ground-hugging, old-frame A-10 Warthogs…)

Here’s another great article on the subject, which goes a little more in depth.

Task & Purpose @TaskandPurposeWhy the Navy’s plan to get rid of 24 ships is a really bad idea Why the Navy’s plan to get rid of 24 ships is a really bad idea“China is not a ‘pacing challenge’ when they will soon have double the size of our Navy.”taskandpurpose.com

April 4th 2022

5 Retweets16 Likes

Speaking of the Marine Corps, my beloved service is in the fight for its soul, so to speak. And I’m torn on where I really stand. I mostly think it’s changing too quickly and that we should leave infantry battalions as they were when I was in.

But I’m also cognizant that I’m a bit older and warfare has changed a great deal than even when I served twenty years ago. But if you want to get into what’s happening, the article below is a good one to explore.

politico.com/news/2022/04/0… ","username":"StanRMitchell","name":"Stan R. Mitchell","date":"Sat Apr 02 17:53:40 +0000 2022","photos":[{"img_url":"https://pbs.substack.com/media/FPW3EW...Stan R. Mitchell @StanRMitchellFascinating reading. I have really mixed feelings about the entire thing. How two dozen retired generals are trying to stop an overhaul of the Marines politico.com/news/2022/04/0…

April 2nd 2022

1 Retweet3 Likes

With all the talk about gas prices and oil production, here’s a reminder on what you need to know about OPEC, or the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries. These countries control nearly 40 percent of the world’s oil supply.

The article below is a good, short summary of the group.

Council on Foreign Relations @CFR_orgThe surge in oil prices from Russia’s war in Ukraine has refocused attention on OPEC. Here's what to know about the bloc of oil-rich nations. OPEC in a Changing WorldWestern leaders have long criticized OPEC’s power to raise oil prices, and the bloc continues to influence the global market even as U.S. oil production has soared and alternative energies have come to the fore.on.cfr.org

March 26th 2022

10 Retweets18 Likes

Moving along to tech news, we’ve talked in the past about drone swarms. And how they might be stopped.

The below video is an ABSOLUTE must-watch on how to stop drones, at least against bases and hardened positions. It also discusses the shortcomings of trying to shoot down drones with gunfire or missiles.

A perfect, high-level review, all in just a bit over three minutes.

zpr.io/ed8tWksLFUny ","username":"defense_news","name":"Defense News","date":"Mon Apr 04 13:13:43 +0000 2022","photos":[{"img_url":"https://pbs.substack.com/media/FPgKK_...Defense News @defense_newsHitting drones with Thor's hammer | MilTechzpr.io/ed8tWksLFUny

April 4th 2022

2 Retweets5 Likes

Finally, let’s end with some motivation and wisdom.

First, how about this incredible story, of how we can all be the change around us.

Stan R. Mitchell @StanRMitchellA beautiful, feel-good story. Cars were killing salamanders. A student got the road closed to save them.Once Marquette residents learned about the critters, they fell in love and started a Salamander Days festival.washingtonpost.com

April 4th 2022

Here’s that above story, with it NOT behind a paywall. (The short of the story is a student realized that hundreds of salamanders were being killed on a road at night, and after some study, a town closed a single street for a short time at night during the time when they travel. Not only were the salamanders saved, but a festival was also launched and it became its own point of pride for a town.)

Now, moving on:

zach @McKeeZachThere’s a difference between being happy and being distracted from sadness

April 3rd 2022

301,924 Retweets1,525,824 Likes#quote #quotesmith55 #belief #possible #MondayMotivation ","username":"Ranal55","name":"Ranal Currie","date":"Mon Apr 04 12:55:03 +0000 2022","photos":[{"img_url":"https://pbs.substack.com/media/FPgF5l...Ranal Currie @Ranal55It is only when you believe that the impossible is possible that you make it so.#quote #quotesmith55 #belief #possible #MondayMotivation

April 4th 2022

88 Retweets108 Likes🪶Native Red Cloud🪶Maȟpíya Lúta🪶5thGen🦬FM3⚡️🦉 @Native3rd“We must change our energy if we want to change our lives.”~ Lakota 🪶✨

April 3rd 2022

441 Retweets2,073 LikesLife Quotes @RTLifeQuotesMany people think they want things, but they don't really have the strength, the discipline. They are weak. I believe that you get what you want if you want it badly enough. — Sophia Loren

April 4th 2022

30 Retweets134 LikesMotivational Quotes @spreadcheer1Your struggle is real. But so is your immense strength. You're not helpless although you're dispirited in this moment. Feeling low is okay. Everyone has phases of self-doubt. The sooner you embrace inner power & confidence, the sooner your life starts showing sign of advancement.

April 4th 2022

37 Retweets119 LikesInspirational Quotes @TheQuoteBoook_What ever you decide to do, make sure it makes you happy.

April 4th 2022

102 Retweets342 Likes#SundayMotivation ","username":"IMQuotes_Videos","name":"Inspired Motivation Quotes","date":"Sun Apr 03 12:00:10 +0000 2022","photos":[{"img_url":"https://pbs.substack.com/media/FPavvq...Inspired Motivation Quotes @IMQuotes_VideosAlways strive to maintain a positive, optimistic, solution-oriented mindset.#SundayMotivation

April 3rd 2022

77 Retweets170 Likesbuff.ly/2t4uhCi ","username":"fearlessmotivat","name":"Fearless Motivation","date":"Sun Apr 03 12:05:02 +0000 2022","photos":[{"img_url":"https://pbs.substack.com/media/FPaw3L...Fearless Motivation @fearlessmotivatYou'll never get very far in life if you only work hard on the days you feel like it. buff.ly/2t4uhCi

April 3rd 2022

24 Retweets82 Likes

That’s it for this edition. As a reminder, please be kind and endeavor to love your fellow Americans. We need to pull this country together, and that starts with all of us.

Don’t forget to also please consider signing up for email notifications if you’re just a visitor dropping by. That will make sure you don’t miss any future editions. Or you can help support my work by subscribing and paying $5 per month. It’s like throwing a few bucks into a hat. Here’s why you should, and you can pause it at any time.

Subscribe now

As always, please share this post if you enjoyed it! And I welcome any and all respectful comments below.

Share

Semper Fidelis,

Stan R. Mitchell

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 leadership/biography book, and two realistic war novels: one about World War II and one about Afghanistan.

And here’s a short bio about me and what I’m trying to do with the newsletter. And if you’d like to support me, you can subscribe to my newsletter for $5 per month (it comes out twice a week). Or, you can check out my books at this link: http://amzn.to/3p6lAnQ. I’ve sold 70,000-plus copies and had thousands of reviews on Amazon and Goodreads. I’m confident you’ll enjoy them.