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 LikesThe 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 LikesHere’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 LikesThe 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 LikesBut 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 LikesHopefully, 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 LikesThe 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.stApril 19th 2022
94 Retweets300 LikesHere’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 LikesWhile 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 LikesAnd 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 LikesAt 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 LikesFinally, 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. : )
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Semper Fidelis,
Stan R. Mitchell
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