The view from the front: military matters and motivation.

Share this post
The Stan R. Mitchell report for 4/29/22.
stanrmitchell.substack.com

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

Stan R. Mitchell
Apr 29
Comment
Share

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

Quick commercial to pay the bills here. If you’ve been enjoying the newsletter, I’d really appreciate it if you would consider subscribing. (It’s $5 per month and can be canceled at any time.)

That would not only encourage me — and also help me prove to my wife that I’m not crazy 🤣 — but it’d also help justify the increasing amount of time that I devote to these posts. I love doing these and I’d love to honestly help make them even better than they currently are.

If you’re newer or can’t pull that off, no problem at all! Maybe consider sharing the post with someone you know, either by Facebook or email or Twitter.

Here’s the link to share:

Share

And here’s the link to sign up, if my sales pitch worked:

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.

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.

Twitter avatar for @apluskashton kutcher @aplusk
The 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:

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

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

  3. 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.

Twitter avatar for @jaketapperJake Tapper @jaketapper
Mariupol 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.

Twitter avatar for @jaketapperJake Tapper @jaketapper
Situation 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.

Twitter avatar for @JackDetschJack Detsch @JackDetsch
NEW: 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.

Twitter avatar for @IAPonomarenkoIllia Ponomarenko 🇺🇦 @IAPonomarenko
Here’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.
Image

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.

Twitter avatar for @ThreshedThoughtDr Mike Martin ⛵️ @ThreshedThought
The 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.

Twitter avatar for @ThreshedThoughtDr Mike Martin ⛵️ @ThreshedThought
So 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).

Twitter avatar for @DeptofDefenseDepartment 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.
Image
Image
Image
Image

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:

Twitter avatar for @ThreshedThoughtDr Mike Martin ⛵️ @ThreshedThought
Strategic 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:.

Twitter avatar for @ThreshedThoughtDr 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.

Twitter avatar for @NavalInstituteU.S. Naval Institute @NavalInstitute
Navy’s F/A-XX Fighter Will be the ‘Quarterback’ for a Team of Unmanned Aircraft - USNI News
news.usni.org/2022/04/28/nav…
Image

April 28th 2022

12 Retweets39 Likes

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

Twitter avatar for @TaskandPurposeTask & Purpose @TaskandPurpose
A 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.)

Twitter avatar for @realPatriot_7N. M. Curry @realPatriot_7
Image

April 28th 2022

2 Retweets5 Likes
Twitter avatar for @Tink8811Cynthia Williams @Tink8811
🙏🏻💖🙏🏻
Image

April 28th 2022

6 Likes

Twitter avatar for @_SuccessMinded_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
Twitter avatar for @IMQuotes_VideosInspired Motivation Quotes @IMQuotes_Videos
The less you respond to negative people, the more peaceful your life will become. #Peaceful

April 27th 2022

66 Retweets204 Likes
Twitter avatar for @IMQuotes_VideosInspired Motivation Quotes @IMQuotes_Videos
If 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

Twitter avatar for @_SuccessMinded_Success Minded @_SuccessMinded_
Don't rush the process, Trust it. Great things take time.

April 20th 2022

995 Retweets4,661 Likes
Twitter avatar for @IMQuotes_VideosInspired Motivation Quotes @IMQuotes_Videos
Thoughts 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 Likes
Twitter avatar for @_SuccessMinded_Success Minded @_SuccessMinded_
"Your values are what you do when no one is looking."

April 24th 2022

474 Retweets2,668 Likes
Twitter avatar for @realPatriot_7N. M. Curry @realPatriot_7
Don'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.)

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.

CommentComment
ShareShare

Create your profile

0 subscriptions will be displayed on your profile (edit)

Skip for now

Only paid subscribers can comment on this post

Already a paid subscriber? Sign in

Check your email

For your security, we need to re-authenticate you.

Click the link we sent to , or click here to sign in.

TopNewCommunity

No posts

Ready for more?

© 2022 Stan R. Mitchell
Privacy ∙ Terms ∙ Collection notice
Publish on Substack Get the app
Substack is the home for great writing