Extended edition: Episode 3-23-23

Good morning, my friends!

Here’s today’s brief round-up of news, thoughts, etc. (I’ll have the weekly podcast dropping later today!)

If you just happened to stumble by, here’s what I’m doing with The View from the Front extended edition.

My name is Stan R. Mitchell and I’m a prior Marine, journalist, and man who loves this country with all of my heart. I also like to focus on covering our military and looming hot spots, while also trying to unite the country as best I can.

In every edition, I primarily share a combination of news currently happening, as well as my thoughts. I send these out each morning.

I truly do appreciate all my supporters and listeners, and The View from the Front extended edition is just a small way I want to repay those who have signed up as paid subscribers. (And it also is another step forward toward the long-term dream and vision I currently have.)

I will also continue to do my weekly podcast each Thursday.

If you’d like to upgrade and go from free to paid, here’s the link:

But no pressure. I’ve already got a nice contingent of awesome, paying supporters, and this is mostly for them.

If you have any questions, you can email me at: authorstanrmitchell@yahoo.com.

Love and peace,

Stan R. Mitchell

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Russia and Ukraine news:

I wanted to start today by sharing something that isn’t the biggest news, but to me, this is SUCH a moving (and inspiring) video.

NOËL 🇪🇺 🇺🇦 @NOELreports

Zelenskyi reportedly visited Ukrainian troops in the Bakhmut area.

Ron DeSantis is finally moving back in the right direction on the issue of Ukraine (which used to be his original position).

Annie Karni @anniekarni

DeSantis on Ukraine, take two

nytimes.comDeSantis Calls Putin a ‘War Criminal,’ Clarifying Earlier Comment on UkraineThe Florida governor and presumed G.O.P. presidential candidate previously described the Russia-Ukraine conflict as a “territorial dispute” and did not mention the Russian president.

A quick reminder of his past positions:

DeSantis has a history of supporting U.S. aid to Ukraine. As a member of Congress in 2014, DeSantis voted for the Ukraine Support Act, which authorized President Obama to send arms to Ukraine to repel Russia’s occupation of Ukraine’s Crimea region. 

The following year, 2015, DeSantis said on Bill Bennett’s radio show that “We in Congress have been urging the President … to provide arms to Ukraine. They want to fight their good fight. They’re not asking us to fight it for them.” 

And last year, in the early days of the war, he called on Biden to get tough with Russian President Vladimir Putin. “This is a guy who basically is an authoritarian gas station attendant — OK?” he was reported as saying, and he advised Biden to “hit him where it counts.” 

And even though it’s clearly a walk-back, it’s the right position. I’ll take what we can get, especially if he can stabilize support for Ukraine on the right.

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Russia better hope a peace deal is drawn up fairly soon this spring or summer, because this news broke regarding American tanks.

The Washington Post @washingtonpost

The Pentagon, in a significant shift, said that it will send M1 Abrams tanks to Ukraine by the fall, after facing scrutiny for initially saying it could take a year or two to procure the powerful weapons and get them to the battlefield.

wapo.stU.S. will speed transfer of Abrams tanks to Ukraine, Pentagon saysThe new plan calls for refurbishing tank hulls already in the U.S. arsenal rather than procuring new vehicles, which had been expected to take up to two years.

And since we’re on the subject of tanks, I’m thinking this is probably not the best sign if you’re on Team Russia.

Euromaidan Press @EuromaidanPress

As Russia continues to demothball the T-62 tanks from the 1960s, the Russian OSINT group @CITeam_en reports that even older Soviet tanks - T-54/T-55 from the late 1940s - were spotted in transit by rail euromaidanpress.com/2023/03/22/mor…

Euromaidan Press @EuromaidanPress

@CITeam_en The serial production of the T-54 tanks began in 1947, its upgraded versions - T-54A, T-55, T-55B - saw serial production starting in 1955, 1956, and 1957 respectively. The T-54s are known for their wide use in the Soviet invasion of Hungary in 1956.

Euromaidan Press @EuromaidanPress

@CITeam_en Reportedly fresh video of the T-54 tanks transported by train in Russia 📹via t.me/uniannet/93178

And we’ve talked about this before, but the Ukrainians are fast learners.

Chuck Pfarrer | Indications & Warnings | @ChuckPfarrer

UKRAINIAN PATRIOTS: UKR troops training on Patriot air defense systems are impressing their US instructors. One said: “I’ve trained numerous countries... these guys smoke them.” Patriot batteries will protect Ukraine's cities. edition.cnn.com/2023/03/21/pol…

One other weapons system bit of news. Here’s a follow-up to Slovakia giving up its MIG fighters to Ukraine.