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.
![Twitter avatar for @SpencerGuard](https://substackcdn.com/image/twitter_name/w_96/SpencerGuard.jpg)
![Twitter avatar for @TheStudyofWar](https://substackcdn.com/image/twitter_name/w_40/TheStudyofWar.jpg)
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?”
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.
![Twitter avatar for @UAWeapons](https://substackcdn.com/image/twitter_name/w_96/UAWeapons.jpg)
![Image](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_600,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fpbs.substack.com%2Fmedia%2FFRMbFzjX0AAddkI.jpg)
There was also this news from Russia in the same geographic area.
![Twitter avatar for @revishvilig](https://substackcdn.com/image/twitter_name/w_96/revishvilig.jpg)
![Image](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_600,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fpbs.substack.com%2Fmedia%2FFRK-xQRXsAAkefe.jpg)
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.
Ukraine has already begun reclaiming some of its land.
![Twitter avatar for @mhmck](https://substackcdn.com/image/twitter_name/w_96/mhmck.jpg)
![Image](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_600,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fpbs.substack.com%2Fmedia%2FFRBQUfZXwAAx7_K.jpg)
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.
![Twitter avatar for @USArmy](https://substackcdn.com/image/twitter_name/w_96/USArmy.jpg)
![Image](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_600,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fpbs.substack.com%2Fmedia%2FFQzzyU4WUAwp4jW.jpg)
Let’s end this edition with plenty of motivation and wisdom.
![Twitter avatar for @IMQuotes_Videos](https://substackcdn.com/image/twitter_name/w_96/IMQuotes_Videos.jpg)
![Twitter avatar for @fearlessmotivat](https://substackcdn.com/image/twitter_name/w_96/fearlessmotivat.jpg)
![Image](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_600,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fpbs.substack.com%2Fmedia%2FFRJChbFXwAE7HDn.jpg)
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.
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Semper Fidelis,
Stan R. Mitchell
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