The Stan R. Mitchell Show

If you just happened to stumble by, let me say a quick word about what we’re doing here.

For those who don’t know, my name is Stan R. Mitchell, and I’m a prior Marine and journalist.

Every week, I primarily do three things with my podcast:

* Cover emerging hotspots and foreign policy news that you absolutely should know. (Why I focus on foreign policy...)

* Work to unite our country and remind us of how lucky we are to live in America. (My thoughts on the division in this country...)

* And finally, I always share plenty of motivation and wisdom at the end of each episode.

Take a listen to the podcast. I really hope you get something out of it.

Source notes to podcast:

Links to other news stories:

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un meets with Russian defense minister on military cooperation

NATO will step up security in Black Sea region after Russia declares parts are unsafe for shipping

Iran gives ‘detailed answers’ to UN inspectors over 2 sites where manmade uranium particles found

Russian fighter jet strikes another American drone over Syria in the sixth incident this month

DOD photos from this week’s show.

That’s it for this edition.

As a reminder, please be kind and try your best to love your fellow Americans.

So many men and women have sacrificed, fought, and died to keep this country together the past 240-plus years. Please work daily to unite our country again. The vast majority of Americans are decent, loving, great people.

Also, please try to be a better person each and every day. Try to be kinder on social media and how you interact with others with whom you disagree.

Please join me again in our next episode, and please stay safe until then.

And with that, I’m out.

The View from the Front by Stan R. Mitchell is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Love and peace,

Stan R. Mitchell

Don’t forget: You can comment anytime, and I’ll answer quickly! You can also reach out privately at: [email protected]. (You can say “hi,” vent, or send news tips! I love all three of those things!)

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 motivational self-help book about President Obama, and two realistic war novels: one about World War II and one about Afghanistan. You can find all of these books on Amazon.

Want to know more about me? Click here: About me. You can also learn more about my journey here: Writers are crazy, and I’m crazier than most.

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit stanrmitchell.substack.com/subscribe

Welcome to The View from the Front. My name is Stan and this is the July 20th edition. 

Today, we are talking about three big things you need to know about the war in Ukraine this week.

We’ll also have a segment in which we highlight what our military is doing, and this week, that involves three things you probably haven't heard about our military that happened in the past seven days.

And of course, we’ll cover some motivation and wisdom at the end.

Timestamps:

Timestamp: 3:33. Three big things you need to know about the war in Ukraine this week.

Timestamp: 23:30. The latest on Ukraine’s counteroffensive.

Timestamp: 31:35. The motivation and wisdom section.

If you just happened to stumble by, let me say a quick word about what we’re doing here.

For those who don’t know, my name is Stan R. Mitchell, and I’m a prior Marine and journalist.

Every week, I primarily do three things with my podcast:

* Cover emerging hotspots and foreign policy news that you absolutely should know. (Why I focus on foreign policy...)

* Work to unite our country and remind us of how lucky we are to live in America. (My thoughts on the division in this country...)

* And finally, I always share plenty of motivation and wisdom at the end of each episode.

Take a listen to the podcast. I really hope you get something out of it.

Source notes and links from the podcast above:

* Ukraine claims responsibility for new attack on key Crimea bridge

* Your must-read article for the week from The Washington Post. Jam-packed with facts you probably haven’t seen. This is a gift-article link. Feel free to share. Gift link: The biggest obstacle to Ukraine’s counteroffensive? Minefields.

* US Completes Chemical Weapons Stockpile Destruction Operations

* Russia Destroys Last Chemical Weapons

* OPCW Executive Council and Director-General Review Progress on Destruction of Abandoned Chemical Weapons in China

* 'Helping Our State': Vermont Guard Responds to Severe Flooding

That’s it for this edition.

As a reminder, please be kind and try your best to love your fellow Americans.

So many men and women have sacrificed, fought, and died to keep this country together the past 240-plus years. Please work daily to unite our country again. The vast majority of Americans are decent, loving, great people.

Also, please try to be a better person each and every day. Try to be kinder on social media and how you interact with others with whom you disagree.

Please join me again in our next episode, and please stay safe until then.

And with that, I’m out.

The View from the Front by Stan R. Mitchell is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Love and peace,

Stan R. Mitchell

Don’t forget: You can comment anytime, and I’ll answer quickly! You can also reach out privately at: [email protected]. (You can say “hi,” vent, or send news tips! I love all three of those things!)

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 motivational self-help book about President Obama, and two realistic war novels: one about World War II and one about Afghanistan. You can find all of these books on Amazon.

Want to know more about me? Click here: About me. You can also learn more about my journey here: Writers are crazy, and I’m crazier than most.

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit stanrmitchell.substack.com/subscribe

Hey guys!

Welcome to The View from the Front. My name is Stan and this is the July 13th edition. 

Today, we are talking about seven big stories involving Ukraine that you have to know about…

Of the seven, you probably haven't heard half of them. We’ll also have a:

* Segment on bipartisanship/America working/good news.

* And a segment in which we highlight a U.S. military unit that’s serving (or has served) somewhere in the world.

And of course, we’ll cover some motivation and wisdom at the end.

Timestamps:

Timestamp: 2:35. Seven big stories involving Ukraine that you have to know about....

Timestamp: 27:13. Segment on bipartisanship/America working/good news.

Timestamp: 32:45. Highlighting the service of our men and women in the armed forces. This week, I honor Centcom.

Timestamp: 42:13. The motivation and wisdom section.

If you just happened to stumble by, let me say a quick word about what we’re doing here.

For those who don’t know, my name is Stan R. Mitchell, and I’m a prior Marine and journalist.

Every week, I primarily do three things with my podcast:

* Cover emerging hotspots and foreign policy news that you absolutely should know. (Why I focus on foreign policy...)

* Work to unite our country and remind us of how lucky we are to live in America. (My thoughts on the division in this country...)

* And finally, I always share plenty of motivation and wisdom at the end of each episode.

Take a listen to the podcast. I really hope you get something out of it.

Three visuals mentioned in the pod:

That’s it for this edition.

As a reminder, please be kind and try your best to love your fellow Americans.

So many men and women have sacrificed, fought, and died to keep this country together the past 240-plus years. Please work daily to unite our country again. The vast majority of Americans are decent, loving, great people.

Also, please try to be a better person each and every day. Try to be kinder on social media and how you interact with others with whom you disagree.

Please join me again in our next episode, and please stay safe until then.

And with that, I’m out.

Love and peace,

Stan R. Mitchell

Don’t forget: You can comment anytime, and I’ll answer quickly! You can also reach out privately at: [email protected]. (You can say “hi,” vent, or send news tips! I love all three of those things!)

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 motivational self-help book about President Obama, and two realistic war novels: one about World War II and one about Afghanistan. You can find all of these books on Amazon.

Want to know more about me? Click here: About me. You can also learn more about my journey here: Writers are crazy, and I’m crazier than most.

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit stanrmitchell.substack.com/subscribe

Hey guys,

Welcome to the View from the Front podcast. If you just happened to stumble by, let me say a quick word about what we’re doing here.

For those who don’t know, my name is Stan R. Mitchell, and I’m a prior Marine and journalist.

Every week, I primarily do three things with my podcast:

* Cover emerging hotspots and foreign policy news that you absolutely should know. (Why I focus on foreign policy...)

* Work to unite our country and remind us of how lucky we are to live in America. (My thoughts on the division in this country...)

* And finally, I always share plenty of motivation and wisdom at the end of each episode.

The slow Ukrainian counteroffensive, and three reasons that's a good thing.

In my podcast above, I talk about this subject. Below are merely the source notes. You should really listen to the podcast. It’s short, fast-moving, and enlightening.

Ukraine’s costly counteroffensive must produce results before NATO summit – Zelenskyy

"We must show results before the (NATO) summit (on July 11-12), but every meter comes at a cost of lives," said Zelenskyy.

The president revealed that the plans for Ukraine's counteroffensive have been slowed down in recent months due to heavy rains. He called on partners to continue supporting Ukraine with weapons. Zelenskyy noted that during the autumn 2022 counteroffensive, "with respect to our allies," the supply of artillery was “too late.”

"We had to stop because we couldn't advance; advancing would have meant losing more people, and we didn't have artillery," he emphasized, reiterating that Ukraine values the lives of its troops above all.

Earlier on June 30, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Valerii Zaluzhnyi said he is “irked” when people complain about the counteroffensive being “slower than expected,” reminding that "every meter liberated by Ukrainian forces is paid for with blood."

Don’t second-guess the Ukrainian counteroffensive. It’s just starting.

The Ukrainian counteroffensive is less than a month old and already the murmurs of defeatism are starting, with unnamed “Western officials” telling CNN that it is “not meeting expectations on any front.” Even Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky concedes that the counteroffensive is going “slower than desired.”

In truth, the plodding pace of the advance should not be a surprise or a cause for serious concern, yet.

Very few offensives advance as swiftly as Operation Desert Storm — and that was only possible because of the massive technological advantage that the United States and its allies enjoyed over Iraq. Before the ground war even began in 1991, allied forces spent more than five weeks pummeling Iraqi forces with everything from Tomahawk cruise missiles to B-52 bombers. Then, after the unrelenting attacks from the air, allied ground forces were able to stage a giant “left hook” through the sands of Saudi Arabia to go around the fortified Iraqi positions in Kuwait.

A slow Ukrainian counteroffensive can’t prompt a Western retreat

Nearly 20 percent of Ukraine’s territory remains occupied by Russian troops, who had months to dig multiple tiers of deep trenches and prepare other defensive obstacles along the length of a 600-mile front line. That frontier is now among the world’s most heavily mined strips of land — more than 75,000 square miles of Ukrainian territory has been seeded with explosives, according to Mr. Zelensky — and is also stitched with antitank obstacles, made of reinforced concrete, known as dragon’s teeth.

What’s more, there are thought to be several hundred thousand Russian soldiers in Ukraine, considerably more than Ukraine can muster. Kyiv’s forces lack the 3-to-1 numerical advantage generally thought needed for attacking soldiers to overcome dug-in defenders such as Russia’s.

Yet hand-wringing over Ukraine’s stuttering advance, which began in early June, is premature. It ignores not just the gains that have been made — more than 100 square miles of territory liberated, according to the British Defense Ministry — but also the fact that the real fight has not begun. When it does, Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov told the Financial Times, “everyone will see everything.”

America, and our beautiful experiment in democracy as a republic, is actually working.

Every week, I like to do a segment on bipartisanship or America working or some good news. This week, I want to focus on….

The incredible and speedy rebuild of the I-95 bridge

Again, please listen to the podcast for my thoughts on this.

Military unit of the week:

Every week, I like to highlight some unit from one of the branches. This week, I’m highlighting the USS McFaul, an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer in the United States Navy. Please listen to the news about the unit in the podcast. What follows are simply the source notes.

The USS McFaul was critical in preventing the seizure of two commerical oil takers on July 5th.

You can see video and photos of the event below.

U.S. Prevents Iran from Seizing Two Merchant Tankers in Gulf of Oman

Thank you to all the men and women serving around the globe, who are helping to keep us safe.

Motivation and Wisdom:

Let’s end this edition with plenty of motivation and wisdom. (Honestly, you should listen to this part, as well, but I’ll throw the text in on the off-chance that you can’t. 🤣)

Guys, you need to hear this. At least one of you out there needs to hear this.

Life is passing you by. You only get one shot at life, and you’re letting it slip through your fingers, day by day. Life has beaten you down, kicked you in the face, ignored you, punished you, rained on you, assailed you with illnesses and injuries, burdened you with debts and levels of despair that I know are breaking your spirit.

But you have to get up? Do you hear me? You have to get up.

You’re going to get up, get up now, and start fighting back. Do not let despair win. Get up and take a step to confront those things facing you now.

Do it now.

And let these following items lift your spirit and take you to a higher level. You can do this.

You’re meant to do this.

And you have to do this. For yourself. For your family. For your creator.

With all of that being said, I truly hope these help pick up your spirits, revive your hopes, and make you a better person.

You know, I once read, if you don’t think you’re powerful, think of your most important relationship with that person who’s depending on you.

Maybe it’s a son or daughter. Maybe it’s a parent you’re caring for. Maybe it’s your spouse.

If you don’t think you’re important, if you think you don’t matter, imagine if suddenly you went away.

Who would care for that person? Who would check on them, love them, care for them, help them?

We are all way more powerful and important than we think, and the work we are doing — even that work we forget about and sometimes complain about — it’s important.

You can have an impact. You ARE having an impact, and now that you’re paying attention, let’s share a few more items to help feed you and make you stronger!

'Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. ' Psalms 51:10

'Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. '

Philippians 4:8

That’s it for this edition.

As a reminder, please be kind and try your best to love your fellow Americans.

So many men and women have sacrificed, fought, and died to keep this country together the past 240-plus years. Please work daily to unite our country again. The vast majority of Americans are decent, loving, great people.

Also, please try to be a better person each and every day. Try to be kinder on social media and how you interact with others with whom you disagree.

Please join me again in our next episode, and please stay safe until then.

And with that, I’m out.

Love and peace,

Stan R. Mitchell

Don’t forget: You can comment anytime, and I’ll answer quickly! You can also reach out privately at: [email protected]. (You can say “hi,” vent, or send news tips! I love all three of those things!)

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 motivational self-help book about President Obama, and two realistic war novels: one about World War II and one about Afghanistan. You can find all of these books on Amazon.

Want to know more about me? Click here: About me. You can also learn more about my journey here: Writers are crazy, and I’m crazier than most.

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit stanrmitchell.substack.com/subscribe

Hey guys,

Welcome to the View from the Front podcast. If you just happened to stumble by, let me say a quick word about what we’re doing here.

For those who don’t know, my name is Stan R. Mitchell, and I’m a prior Marine and journalist.

Every week, I primarily do three things with my podcast:

* Cover emerging hotspots and foreign policy news that you absolutely should know. (Why I focus on foreign policy...)

* Work to unite our country and remind us of how lucky we are to live in America. (My thoughts on the division in this country...)

* And finally, I always share plenty of motivation and wisdom at the end of each episode.

This week, the entire show is on the podcast, for reasons I explain in that podcast. lol.

But I’ll share the motivation and wisdom links below.

Motivation and Wisdom:

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

Guys, you need to hear this. At least one of you out there needs to hear this.

Life is passing you by. You only get one shot at life, and you’re letting it slip through your fingers, day by day. Life has beaten you down, kicked you in the face, ignored you, punished you, rained on you, assailed you with illnesses and injuries, burdened you with debts and levels of despair that I know are breaking your spirit.

But you have to get up? Do you hear me? You have to get up.

You’re going to get up, get up now, and start fighting back. Do not let despair win. Get up and take a step to confront those things facing you now.

Do it now.

And let these following items lift your spirit and take you to a higher level. You can do this.

You’re meant to do this.

And you have to do this. For yourself. For your family. For your creator.

With all of that being said, I truly hope these help pick up your spirits, revive your hopes, and make you a better person.

That’s it for this edition.

As a reminder, please be kind and try your best to love your fellow Americans.

So many men and women have sacrificed, fought, and died to keep this country together the past 240-plus years. Please work daily to unite our country again. The vast majority of Americans are decent, loving, great people.

Also, please try to be a better person each and every day. Try to be kinder on social media and how you interact with others with whom you disagree.

Please join me again in our next episode, and please stay safe until then.

And with that, I’m out.

Love and peace,

Stan R. Mitchell

Don’t forget: You can comment anytime, and I’ll answer quickly! You can also reach out privately at: [email protected]. (You can say “hi,” vent, or send news tips! I love all three of those things!)

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 motivational self-help book about President Obama, and two realistic war novels: one about World War II and one about Afghanistan. You can find all of these books on Amazon.

Want to know more about me? Click here: About me. You can also learn more about my journey here: Writers are crazy, and I’m crazier than most.

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit stanrmitchell.substack.com/subscribe

Hey guys!

Welcome to the show! In this episode, we’ll be discussing several topics, which you probably haven’t seen in the news. As I always say, our media does a terrible job covering our military and potential hotspots, so I’m hoping to fill this void.

But, in addition to ending the podcast with some awesome motivation and wisdom, we’ll cover:

Timestamp: 2:19. The latest on Ukraine’s counteroffensive.

Timestamp: 5:02. On the one hand, there’s much to celebrate. On the other, it’s like this is but the smallest taste of what’s to come.

Timestamp: 6:01. As Ukraine’s counteroffensive heats up, Washington holds its breath.

Timestamp: 8:48. To date, more than 50 countries have sent aid to Ukraine in this unprovoked war started by Russia.

Timestamp: 12:19. Even though limited land has been taken to date, major successes truly are occurring, as evidenced in the video below.

Timestamp: 15:56. Just to piggy-back on that point, this Ukrainian commander dispels several myths about the counteroffensive.

Timestamp: 19:05. Two pieces of broader, world news you need to know about.

Hey guys,

Welcome to the View from the Front podcast. If you just happened to stumble by, let me say a quick word about what we’re doing here.

For those who don’t know, my name is Stan R. Mitchell, and I’m a prior Marine and journalist.

Every week, I primarily do three things with my podcast:

* Cover emerging hotspots and foreign policy news that you absolutely should know. (Why I focus on foreign policy...)

* Work to unite our country and remind us of how lucky we are to live in America. (My thoughts on the division in this country...)

* And finally, I always share plenty of motivation and wisdom at the end of each episode.

In this episode, we’ll be discussing several topics, that I think will really interest you, and that I almost guarantee you haven’t seen in the news!

The work I do each week is primarily a podcast. You can listen to it from the player above, or from whatever podcast you listen to it from.

And if you love what I’m doing here, please sign up for email notifications. It’s FREE. Unless you choose to subscribe and support what I’m doing. It’s $5 per month should you choose that option, and you can cancel at any time.

Subscribing also gets you The View from the Front Extended. This is a Monday update that comes out as a newsletter and is a way to provide value and thank my paying subscribers.

Also, people are always asking me on social media how to best support my dreams, including getting out future books sooner. Believe me, the best way to support me is by signing up for a paid subscription here. Or, you can sign up at Patreon or send a tip through Venmo (@authorstanrmitchell).

But you don’t have to do any of these things. I’ve already had incredible support and feel called to do this. As long as I’m making enough to cover the time I invest each week, I’m not going anywhere. Why paid subscriptions help, and what they’d help me do more of...

Enough of the sales pitch, I hope you enjoy today’s edition. Again, you should listen to it from the player above.

Source notes:

One administrative note: There will not be a podcast next week, as I’ll be on vacation, but I plan to continue to provide newsletter updates as big news breaks.

Russia and Ukraine news:

Ukraine says it has retaken 100 square kilometres of land in counteroffensive

Ukraine has regained control of over 100 square kilometres, or 38 square miles, of territory in its counteroffensive against Russian forces, a senior Ukrainian military commander said on Thursday.

…

He confirmed that in the early stages of the offensive, which Ukraine said had begun last week, seven settlements had been liberated in the eastern region of Donetsk and in the southern region of Zaporizhzhia.

On the one hand, there’s much to celebrate. On the other, it’s like this is but the smallest taste of what’s to come.

War Mapper provided the most up-to-date assessment of how deep into the Russian defenses that Ukrainian forces have driven.

As Ukraine’s counteroffensive heats up, Washington holds its breath

As Ukraine launches its long-awaited counteroffensive against entrenched Russian occupiers, both Kyiv and its backers are hoping for a rapid retaking of strategically significant territory. Anything less will present the United States and its allies with uncomfortable questions they are not yet prepared to answer.

With this year’s flow of billions of dollars’ worth of advanced Western weaponry to Ukraine, “everybody’s hopeful that, you know, you’d see overwhelming success,” Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin told reporters last week. But, he said, adding a note of caution, “I think most people have a realistic outlook on this.”

…

The stakes for President Biden are high.

As he heads into next year’s reelection campaign, Biden needs a major battlefield victory to show that his unqualified support for Ukraine has burnished U.S. global leadership, reinvigorated a strong foreign policy with bipartisan support and demonstrated the prudent use of American military strength abroad.

Allies in NATO and beyond have bought heavily into Biden’s case. “Let no one doubt U.S. leadership — and resources — are the decisive contribution,” visiting British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said Thursday at a news conference in Washington with Biden.

To date, more than 50 countries have sent aid to Ukraine in this unprovoked war started by Russia.

* Japan in talks to provide artillery shells to U.S. to help Ukraine, Wall Street Journal reports. The Asian nation is considering supplying 155-mm. artillery shells under a 2016 pact to share ammunition as part of its long-standing security alliance with the United States, the paper added, citing people familiar with the matter.

Even though limited land has been taken to date, major successes truly are occurring, as evidenced in the video below.

Wow. Ukraine took out five self-propelled howitzers of Russia. This is huge because they fire and move quickly and are usually hard to target.

You can see video of it below.

By forcing Russian forces to react, you can get them in the open and target them.

Here’s a picture of what the Msta-S looks like, and not to state the obvious, but this thing can fire 6 to 8 rounds per minute, which travel up to 15 miles, and then scoot away so that counter-battery fire doesn’t hit it.

Just to piggy-back on that point, this Ukrainian commander dispels several myths about the counteroffensive.

Pressure builds to get Sweden in NATO.

Story: GOP senator blocks arms sale to Hungary for stalling Sweden’s NATO bid

China news:

Blinken to visit China this week

Secretary of State Antony Blinken will travel to China to meet with Beijing’s senior officials this week, the State Department announced Wednesday.

During the trip, he’ll discuss the “importance of maintaining open lines of communication to responsibly manage” the relationship between the two countries, the statement said.

…

Blinken, who will leave on Friday and return Wednesday, will become the first secretary of State to visit China in five years and the first Cabinet-level official to do so in four years.

That’s it for this edition.

As a reminder, please be kind and try your best to love your fellow Americans.

So many men and women have sacrificed, fought, and died to keep this country together the past 240-plus years. Please work daily to unite our country again. The vast majority of Americans are decent, loving, great people.

Also, please try to be a better person each and every day. Try to be kinder on social media and how you interact with others with whom you disagree.

Please join me again in our next episode, and please stay safe until then.

And with that, I’m out.

Love and peace,

Stan R. Mitchell

P.S. Enjoy what you’re reading but don’t want to subscribe? Send me a small tip on Venmo (@authorstanrmitchell). The more tips I get, the more I produce. 🤣

P.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 motivational self-help book about President Obama, and two realistic war novels: one about World War II and one about Afghanistan. You can find all of these books on Amazon.

Want to know more about me? Click here: About me. You can also learn more about my journey here: Writers are crazy, and I’m crazier than most.

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit stanrmitchell.substack.com/subscribe

Hey guys,

Just sending out a short announcement so that those who are solely subscribed through Apple Podcasts, Spotify, etc, are aware of the daily updates I’m doing since Ukraine kicked off its counteroffensive operations this week.

It appears a Ukrainian breakthrough is happening as we speak, but I need to nail down more of the details regarding this before I can announce it with confidence.

As such, I’ll post an update later today or early evening.

I will make all of these FREE, so please feel free to share.

Also, if you can you support the show by becoming a paid subscriber, that will allow me to devote more time and resources to what I’m trying to do here.

You can sign up for free or as a paid subscriber at the blue button/link below.

Thanks!

Stan R. Mitchell

P.S. Below are the three updates of the opening moves of the Ukrainian counteroffensive that I’ve already shared this week (in case you missed them).

Love and peace,

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 motivational self-help book about President Obama, and two realistic war novels: one about World War II and one about Afghanistan. You can find all of these books on Amazon.

P.P.S. Want to know more about me? Click here: About me. You can also learn more about my journey here: Writers are crazy, and I’m crazier than most.

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit stanrmitchell.substack.com/subscribe

Hey guys!

Welcome to the show! In this episode, we’ll be discussing several topics, which you probably haven’t seen in the news. As I always say, our media does a terrible job covering our military and potential hotspots, so I’m hoping to fill this void.

But, in addition to ending the podcast with some awesome motivation and wisdom, we’ll cover:

Timestamp: 1:27. Since it’s the episode after Memorial Day, I wanted to honor two special people who gave their lives in service of our country.

Timestamp: 4:49. Erdogan wins new election in Turkey run-off race.

Timestamp: 6:34. Correction to last week’s reporting: new video emerges showing that three sea drones that attacked the Russian intelligence gathering ship, the Ivan Khurs, actually succeeded in hitting it. At least one of them did, that is.

Timestamp: 11:32 ‘It’s Time’: Ukraine’s Top Commander Says Counteroffensive Is Imminent.

Timestamp: 22:40. Meanwhile, Ukraine’s capital has been under relentless drone and missile attacks the past few days.

Timestamp: 24:02. But Ukraine — or some internal foe of Putin inside Russia — has hit back. Moscow grapples with drone strikes on residences, hours after another attack on Kyiv.

Timestamp: 25:46. Putin continues to seem unconcerned with it all. Barely noting war in public, Putin acts like time is on his side.

Timestamp: 27:33. The price of natural gas in the EU hits a two-year low. 

Timestamp: 29:26. US says Chinese jet conducted ‘unnecessarily aggressive maneuver’ intercepting US spy plane over South China Sea.

Timestamp: 31:29. China rejects U.S. request for a meeting of the defense chiefs.

Timestamp: 33:01. Afghanistan sends additional troops to the border after fighting flares up with Iran.

Timestamp: 35:23. The best part of the show. The motivation and wisdom part. 

Timestamp: 46:38. And if you want to learn more about me, my hope for the country (and for those listening), and about the 11 books I’ve written, jump to here on the podcast.

Hey guys,

Welcome to the View from the Front podcast. If you just happened to stumble by, let me say a quick word about what we’re doing here.

For those who don’t know, my name is Stan R. Mitchell, and I’m a prior Marine and journalist.

Every week, I primarily do three things with my podcast:

* Cover emerging hotspots and foreign policy news that you absolutely should know. (Why I focus on foreign policy...)

* Work to unite our country and remind us of how lucky we are to live in America. (My thoughts on the division in this country...)

* And finally, I always share plenty of motivation and wisdom at the end of each episode.

In this episode, we’ll be discussing several topics, that I think will really interest you, and that I almost guarantee you haven’t seen in the news!

The work I do each week is primarily a podcast. You can listen to it from the player above, or from whatever podcast you listen to it from.

And if you love what I’m doing here, please sign up for email notifications. It’s FREE. Unless you choose to subscribe and support what I’m doing. It’s $5 per month should you choose that option, and you can cancel at any time.

Subscribing also gets you The View from the Front Extended. This is a Monday update that comes out as a newsletter and is a way to provide value and thank my paying subscribers.

Also, people are always asking me on social media how to best support my dreams, including getting out future books sooner. Believe me, the best way to support me is by signing up for a paid subscription here. Or, you can sign up at Patreon or at Venmo (@authorstanrmitchell).

But you don’t have to do any of these things. I’ve already had incredible support and feel called to do this. As long as I’m making enough to cover the time I invest each week, I’m not going anywhere. Why paid subscriptions help, and what they’d help me do more of...

Enough of the sales pitch, I hope you enjoy today’s edition. Again, you should listen to it from the player above.

Source notes:

Hey guys,

Since it’s the day after Memorial Day, I wanted to honor two special people who gave their lives in service of our country.

The first one was a big reason I ended up joining the Marine Corps.

Bobby Fisher, who retired as a Gunnery Sergeant in the Marine Corps, was a man I looked up to as a young boy. He was probably the only Marine I really knew before joining, and I recognized and respected how different he was. He was a quiet man, who always stood tall and pulled his share of the load, while never boasting or talking big.

Gunnery Sergeant Fisher served in Desert Shield and Desert Storm and while he survived the combat, he’d struggle with and eventually succumb to a blood disease related to Gulf War Syndrome. (Some may quibble and say he didn’t die in service or combat, but this man left Grainger County a strong man and upon his return, soon found himself struggling with an undiagnosed disease, losing weight and strength and unable to work or do anything physical. He’d die at the young age of 47, and believe me when I say his last years were miserable. I don’t care what anyone says, this man was killed by the war no differently than someone who took a bullet over there.)

The second man I’d like to honor is Lance Corporal Andre Foster, who I served with in Alpha Company, 1st Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment. Lance Corporal Foster died in a dangerous stream crossing we were doing as part of our training at the Jungle Warfare Training Center in Okinawa.

I’ll post a tribute one of his close friends wrote about him below. But just like with Gunnery Sergeant Fisher, I can say I knew Lance Corporal Foster and he was a great man.

Turkey news:

Erdogan wins new election in Turkey run-off race

After securing a strong new mandate in a runoff presidential election, Turkey’s Recep Tayyip Erdogan could temper some positions that have irritated his NATO allies. But observers predicted that the country’s longtime strongman leader is unlikely to depart from his policy of engaging with both Russia and the West.

Erdogan won reelection Sunday with more than 52% of the vote, extending his increasingly authoritarian rule into a third decade. He must now confront skyrocketing inflation that has fueled a cost-of-living crisis and rebuild in the aftermath of a devastating earthquake that killed more than 50,000 people and leveled entire cities.

After failing to secure victory outright in the first round of voting on May 14, Erdogan defeated opposition challenger, Kemal Kilicdaroglu, who had promised to put Turkey on a more democratic path and improve relations with the West.

Russia and Ukraine news:

New video emerges of the damage to the Ivan Khurs ship

‘It’s Time’: Ukraine’s Top Commander Says Counteroffensive Is Imminent

Ukraine’s top military commander signaled on Saturday morning that the nation’s forces were ready to launch their long-anticipated counteroffensive following months of preparations, including recently stepped-up attacks on logistical targets as well as feints and disinformation intended to keep Russian forces on edge.

“It’s time to get back what’s ours,” Ukraine’s supreme military commander, Gen. Valeriy Zaluzhnyi,  wrote in a statement.

The blunt statement, accompanied by a slickly produced video of Ukrainian troops preparing for battle and released on social media, appeared intended to rally a nation weary from 15 months of war and to deepen anxiety within the Russian ranks. But General Zaluzhnyi offered no indication of where and when Ukrainian forces might try to break Russia’s hold on occupied territory.

And if you want to see that video, you can watch it here:

Translated transcript of Ukrainian war video 

Commander: 'Ukraine is my motherland. Lord our father who is in heaven. Bless me.' 

Troops: 'Bless us.' 

Commander: 'I am going to destroy.'

Troops: 'The enemies of my dear country, the murderers of my brothers, the rapists of my sisters.'

Commander: 'May my hand be firm.' 

Troops: 'To slay our enemies.' 

Commander: 'May my eyes be clear.' 

Troops: 'To slay our enemies.'

Commander: 'Let my weapon be in good order.' 

Troops: 'To slay our enemies.' 

Commander: 'Let my will be of steel.'   

Troops: 'To slay our enemies.' 

Commander: 'Ukraine my native motherland.'

Troops: 'Lord our heavenly father, bless us. Our decisive offensive, our sacred vengeance, our holy victory.' 

Text then says in Ukrainian: 'Join those who will raise the banner of our victory.'  

Ukraine’s counteroffensive plan ‘impressive,’ Sen. Graham says

The Russians are “in for a rude awakening” when the Ukrainian counteroffensive begins, Sen. LINDSEY GRAHAM (R-S.C.) told NatSec Daily following a weekend trip to Kyiv.

The lawmaker received a “deep dive” briefing on Ukraine’s military plans from President VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY and his team, he said in a phone interview during his return home. “In the coming days, you’re going to see a pretty impressive display of power by the Ukrainians.”

Zelenskyy announced Monday that “decisions have been made” about when the troop movements will begin.

Meanwhile, Ukraine’s capital has been under relentless drone and missile attacks the past few days.

Russia targets Kyiv with third wave of strikes in twenty-four hours

A month of relentless assaults on the capital has shaken a weary populace. Local officials said there had been 17 attacks in 30 days, rivaling some of the city’s worst moments since the invasion. Ukrainian officials have said the concentrated attacks were aimed at confusing and incapacitating its air defense systems, and at intimidating and exhausting civilians.

…

Serhii Popko, the head of the Kyiv military administration, said the early morning attacks were the third wave aimed at the capital in 24 hours. A rare daytime barrage of ballistic missiles on Monday had sent residents, including schoolchildren carrying their backpacks, running for cover as the city’s air defense system shot down missiles.

The city was targeted with 11 ballistic missiles shortly after 11 a.m. on Monday, according to Ukrainian officials. There were no known deaths from the earlier attacks; one woman was injured, according to officials. Russia said Monday’s strikes had been aimed at air bases rather than civilians. Ukrainian officials said an airfield in western Ukraine was hit.

But Ukraine — or some internal foe of Putin inside Russia — has hit back.

Moscow grapples with drone strikes on residences, hours after another attack on Kyiv

In a rare attack deep inside Russian territory, at least two residential buildings in Moscow were hit by drones Tuesday morning, Moscow’s mayor said on Telegram. No one was seriously injured, the mayor said.

Russia’s Defense Ministry claimed without providing evidence that Ukraine was behind the drone strikes, which it called a “terrorist attack.” Kyiv denied involvement. The Washington Post was unable to independently verify the claims.

The strikes came after Russia conducted its third aerial attack on Kyiv in 24 hours. Falling debris killed at least one person and wounded at least four people, Mayor Vitali Klitschko said. The air raid was the 17th this month, he said.

Putin continues to seem unconcerned with it all.

Barely Noting War in Public, Putin Acts Like Time Is on His Side

Pro-Ukrainian fighters stormed across the border into southwestern Russia this past week, prompting two days of the heaviest fighting on Russian territory in 15 months of war. Yet President Vladimir V. Putin, in public, ignored the matter entirely.

He handed out medals, met the patriarch of the Russian Orthodox Church, hosted friendly foreign leaders and made televised small talk with a Russian judge about how Ukraine was not a real country.

In managing Russia’s biggest war in generations, Mr. Putin increasingly looks like a commander in chief in absentia: In public, he says next to nothing about the course of the war and betrays little concern about Russia’s setbacks. Instead, he is telegraphing more clearly than ever that his strategy is to wait out Ukraine and the West — and that he thinks he can win by exhausting his foes.

…

To mount a major new offensive, Western officials and analysts say that Mr. Putin would need to find new sources of ammunition — and impose a politically risky, second military draft to replenish his depleted troops. Still, the U.S. director of national intelligence, Avril D. Haines, told Congress this month that the chances that Mr. Putin would make any concessions in talks this year were “low,” unless he were to feel a domestic political threat.

China news:

US says Chinese jet conducted ‘unnecessarily aggressive maneuver’ intercepting US spy plane over South China Sea

A Chinese fighter jet conducted an “unnecessarily aggressive maneuver” during an intercept of a US spy plane in international airspace over the South China Sea last week, the US military said in a statement Tuesday.

The Chinese J-16 fighter cut directly in front of the nose of the US RC-135 Rivet Joint reconnaissance aircraft on May 26, forcing the US plane to fly through the wake turbulence of the intercepting aircraft. In video of the incident released by the US military, the turbulence is evident as it disturbs the US aircraft along its flight path.

The RC-135 was conducting “safe and routine operations” in international airspace, US Indo-Pacific Command said.

…

China’s military said on Wednesday that a US spy plane “deliberately intruded” into China’s training area.

China rejects U.S. request for a meeting of the defense chiefs

Afghanistan news:

Motivation and Wisdom:

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

Guys, you need to hear this. At least one of you out there needs to hear this.

Life is passing you by. You only get one shot at life, and you’re letting it slip through your fingers, day by day. Life has beaten you down, kicked you in the face, ignored you, punished you, rained on you, assailed you with illnesses and injuries, burdened you with debts and levels of despair that I know are breaking your spirit.

But you have to get up? Do you hear me? You have to get up.

You’re going to get up, get up now, and start fighting back. Do not let despair win. Get up and take a step to confront those things facing you now.

Do it now.

And let these following items lift your spirit and take you to a higher level. You can do this.

You’re meant to do this.

And you have to do this. For yourself. For your family. For your creator.

With all of that being said, I truly hope these help pick up your spirits, revive your hopes, and make you a better person.

That’s it for this edition.

As a reminder, please be kind and try your best to love your fellow Americans.

So many men and women have sacrificed, fought, and died to keep this country together the past 240-plus years. Please work daily to unite our country again. The vast majority of Americans are decent, loving, great people.

Also, please try to be a better person each and every day. Try to be kinder on social media and how you interact with others with whom you disagree.

Please join me again in our next episode, and please stay safe until then.

And with that, I’m out.

Love and peace,

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 motivational self-help book about President Obama, and two realistic war novels: one about World War II and one about Afghanistan. You can find all of these books on Amazon.

P.P.S. Want to know more about me? Click here: About me. You can also learn more about my journey here: Writers are crazy, and I’m crazier than most.

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit stanrmitchell.substack.com/subscribe

Hey guys!

Welcome to the show! In this episode, we’ll be discussing several topics, which you probably haven’t seen in the news. As I always say, our media does a terrible job covering our military and potential hotspots, so I’m hoping to fill this void.

But, in addition to ending the podcast with some awesome motivation and wisdom, we’ll cover:

Timestamp: 1:27. Erdogan wins endorsement for Turkish election runoff from third-place candidate Ogan.

Timestamp: 3:31. U.S. will help train Ukrainian pilots on F-16 fighter jets.

Timestamp: 5:26. Russia warns giving Ukraine F-16's is a “colossal risk." President Biden has an epic reply.

Timestamp: 6:52. F-16s Would Make No ‘Fundamental Change’ in Ukraine’s War Effort, USAF Secretary Says

Timestamp: 11:22. Russia TV celebrates as it reports the capture of Bakhmut, comparing it to Berlin in 1945.

Timestamp: 13:02. Zelenskyy denies Ukrainian city of Bakhmut occupied by Russian forces.

Timestamp: 14:44. Russia controls Bakhmut, for now, but holding it will be difficult.

Timestamp: 18:01. Could Bakhmut be Russia’s Stalingrad?

Timestamp: 23:57. Could the land bridge be Ukraine’s big spring offensive target?

Timestamp: 29:49. Russia alleges border incursion by Ukrainian saboteurs; Kyiv claims they are disgruntled Russians.

Timestamp: 33:37. Fresh From Attack on Russian Soil, Raiders Taunt the Kremlin.

Timestamp: 35:39. Biden Administration announces new $375 million aid package.

Timestamp: 37:43. Japan to provide Ukraine with 100 vehicles, 30,000 dry rations. In addition, Japan will receive wounded Ukrainian soldiers for the first time at the Central Self-Defense Hospital.

Timestamp: 39:14. An Iranian nuclear facility is so deep underground that US airstrikes likely couldn’t reach it.

Timestamp: 43:40. The Taliban laughs at Iran’s threats about water demands from a shared river.

Timestamp: 49:02. The best part of the show. The motivation and wisdom part.

Hey guys,

Welcome to the View from the Front podcast. If you just happened to stumble by, let me say a quick word about what we’re doing here.

For those who don’t know, my name is Stan R. Mitchell, and I’m a prior Marine and journalist.

Every week, I primarily do three things with my podcast:

* Cover emerging hotspots and foreign policy news that you absolutely should know. (Why I focus on foreign policy...)

* Work to unite our country and remind us of how lucky we are to live in America. (My thoughts on the division in this country...)

* And finally, I always share plenty of motivation and wisdom at the end of each episode.

In this episode, we’ll be discussing several topics, that I think will really interest you, and that I almost guarantee you haven’t seen in the news!

The work I do each week is primarily a podcast. You can listen to it from the player above, or from whatever podcast you listen to it from.

And if you love what I’m doing here, please sign up for email notifications. It’s FREE. Unless you choose to subscribe and support what I’m doing. It’s $5 per month should you choose that option, and you can cancel at any time.

Subscribing also gets you The View from the Front Extended. This is a Monday update that comes out as a newsletter and is a way to provide value and thank my paying subscribers.

Also, people are always asking me on social media how to best support my dreams, including getting out future books sooner. Believe me, the best way to support me is by signing up for a paid subscription here. Or, you can sign up at Patreon or at Venmo (@authorstanrmitchell).

But you don’t have to do any of these things. I’ve already had incredible support and feel called to do this. As long as I’m making enough to cover the time I invest each week, I’m not going anywhere. Why paid subscriptions help, and what they’d help me do more of...

Enough of the sales pitch, I hope you enjoy today’s edition. Again, you should listen to it from the player above.

Source notes:

Turkey election news:

Erdogan wins endorsement for Turkish election runoff from third-place candidate Ogan

The third-placed contender in the Turkish presidential elections formally endorsed President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Monday for the second-round runoff vote to be held on May 28.

The nationalist presidential candidate Sinan Ogan, 55, has emerged as a potential kingmaker after neither Erdogan nor his main challenger, opposition leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu, secured the majority needed for a first-round victory on May 14.

…

Ogan, a former academic who was backed by a far-right anti-migrant party, won 5.17% in the May 14 vote and could hold the key to victory in the runoff now that he’s out of the race.

I mentioned this in the last podcast. Check out this image below:

Russia and Ukraine news:

F-16s to Ukraine are now definitely one closer step forward.

U.S. will help train Ukrainian pilots on F-16 fighter jets

The Biden administration will approve European allies providing American made F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine. The U.S. will also support a joint effort to train Ukrainian pilots. Ukraine has been asking for those jets since early in the war with Russia, but until now, the U.S. has refused

In a press gaggle, a reporter told Biden: that the Russians are saying giving Ukraine F-16's is a “colossal risk."

Biden replied: “It is. For them.”

F-16s Would Make No ‘Fundamental Change’ in Ukraine’s War Effort, USAF Secretary Says

Sending F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine would make no “fundamental change” to the war, the U.S. Air Force secretary said. 

“It will give Ukrainians an increment of capability that they don't have right now, but it's not going to be a dramatic game-changer, as far as I'm concerned, for their total military capabilities,” Frank Kendall told reporters Monday during a Defense Writers Group event. 

…

While manned and unmanned aircraft are flying above Ukraine every day, Kendall said airpower has not been a decisive factor since Russia’s invasion because neither side has been able to gain control of the skies.

“Both sides have most generally used aircraft for fairly limited operations. And part of that has been the efficacy of ground-based air defenses, on both sides, so with small numbers of aircraft and with not a full suite of capabilities, more modern capabilities, it's hard to overcome those systems. And that's one of the fundamental limitations here,” he said.

Russia TV celebrates as it reports the capture of Bakhmut, comparing it to Berlin in 1945

Russian TV went into a full frenzy of celebration as it reported Moscow’s capture of the Ukrainian city of Bakhmut. There were comparisons to the Red Army liberating Berlin in 1945, congratulations relayed from President Vladimir Putin and announcers emphasizing the victory by using the city’s nearly century-old Soviet name of Artyomovsk.

“The myth that Artyomovsk is an unassailable fortress has been crushed,” an anchor said Sunday night on Channel One, Russia’s most popular state broadcaster. “Those are historic events.”

A report from the smoldering city in eastern Ukraine followed, showing Russian fighters yelling “Victory!” and placing two flags -- the Russian tricolor and the black flag of the private military contractor Wagner -- atop a tall, partly destroyed building.

Zelenskyy denies Ukrainian city of Bakhmut occupied by Russian forces

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Sunday that Russian forces weren’t occupying Bakhmut, casting doubt on Moscow’s insistence that the eastern Ukrainian city had fallen.

Responding to a reporter’s question about the status of the city at the Group of Seven summit in Japan, Zelenskyy said: “Bakhmut is not occupied by the Russian Federation as of today.”

“We are not throwing people (away) to die,” Zelenskyy said in Ukrainian through an interpreter. “People are the treasure. I clearly understand what is happening in Bakhmut. I cannot share with you the technical details of what is happening with our warriors.”

…

Oleksandr Syrskyi, a spokesman for the military’s eastern command, said Ukrainian forces control the outskirts of the city, and “defense forces continue offensive actions on the flanks near Bakhmut.”

Russia controls Bakhmut, for now, but holding it will be difficult

Russia now effectively controls Bakhmut in eastern Ukraine, where thousands of Russian and Ukrainian soldiers died in the war’s longest and bloodiest battle. But it is unclear that Moscow’s disjointed forces will be able to hold the decimated city amid a Ukrainian counterattack that has already begun.

…

Russia’s victory celebration may be brief, military analysts said, with Bakhmut potentially following the fate of Izyum, Lyman, Kherson and other cities occupied by Russia only to be retaken by Ukraine. Moscow’s fighting forces are stretched thin after months of significant losses and riven by internal rivalries.

“The story of Bakhmut is not yet finished. There are a lot of Ukrainian forces that are still on the outskirts, and Russia’s position in Ukraine is not particularly stable right now,” said Dara Massicot, a senior researcher at the Rand Corp.

Could Bakhmut be Russia’s Stalingrad?

Yep, I think all that Russia has done is lose a ton of men and left the rest in a hot barrel, where they’ll soon be encircled and captured.

Could the land bridge be Ukraine’s big spring offensive target?

“The Russians don’t exactly know where the counteroffensive is going to start, and based on where the majority of their forces are, they seem particularly concerned about Zaporizhzhia and the land bridge being cut,” Massicot said, referring to the land bridge Russia established earlier in the war to link Crimea, illegally annexed in 2014, to mainland Russia.

Russia alleges border incursion by Ukrainian saboteurs; Kyiv claims they are disgruntled Russians

Russian officials claimed that Ukrainian military saboteurs launched an attack across the border Monday, wounding eight people in a small town. Kyiv officials denied any link with the group and blamed the fighting on a revolt by disgruntled Russians against the Kremlin.

Neither version of events could be independently verified in an area that has witnessed sporadic spillover from the almost 15-month war in Ukraine.

The governor of Russia’s Belgorod region, which borders Ukraine, said that a Ukrainian Armed Forces saboteur group entered the town of Graivoron, about five kilometers (three miles) from the border. The town also came under Ukrainian artillery fire, he said.

Gov. Vyacheslav Gladkov said eight people were wounded and most residents had left the area, but the situation remained “tense.”

Anti-Putin militias mount cross-border incursion in western Russia

Russian officials said Tuesday that a counterterrorism operation has expelled saboteurs from the Belgorod region, which borders Ukraine, after militias made up of Russians fighting on Ukraine’s side in the war mounted an attack on a border post and targeted a building of the Federal Security Service, or FSB.

The governor of Belgorod, Vyacheslav Gladkov, said Tuesday that one woman died while being evacuated during the attack and eight others were injured.

One of the militia groups, the Legion of Free Russia, insisted on Tuesday evening that its fighters had not been expelled and were still in control of some Russian territory. Russia’s Defense Ministry said Tuesday afternoon that security forces killed 70 fighters and destroyed four infantry vehicles and five pickup trucks.

The initial incursion involved two tanks, an armored personnel carrier, and nine other armored vehicles.

Groups dispute casualties and losses

Who are the armed groups that 'penetrated Russia?'

Fresh From Attack on Russian Soil, Raiders Taunt the Kremlin

Two goals seem to be to divert Russian troops and embarrass Putin

Fresh from leading a military incursion into Russian territory, commanders of anti-Kremlin armed groups on Wednesday taunted the Russian Army for its slow response and threatened Moscow with more raids to come.

Russia, they told reporters at a news conference in a forest clearing in northern Ukraine near the border, should now understand that any section of the long frontier may become a new place that Moscow will be compelled to defend.

Military analysts suggested that the cross-border attack in the region of Belgorod on Monday and Tuesday had twin goals, military and political.

It appeared aimed at forcing Russia to divert badly needed troops from the front in eastern and southern Ukraine, even as Ukraine prepares a counteroffensive. And it threatened to embarrass President Vladimir V. Putin’s government by showing Russia’s vulnerability.

Biden Administration announces new $375 million aid package

It includes additional ammunition for U.S.-provided HIMARS, artillery rounds, anti-armor capabilities, and critical enablers valued at up to $375 million that Ukraine is using on the battlefield to push back against Russia's unprovoked war of aggression. The capabilities in this package include: •    Additional ammunition for High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS);•    155mm and 105mm artillery rounds;•    Tube-Launched, Optically-Tracked, Wire-Guided (TOW) missiles;•    Javelin and AT-4 anti-armor systems;•    Laser-guided rocket system munitions;•    Demolition munitions;•    Armored bridging systems;•    Armored medical treatment vehicles;•    Trucks and trailers to transport heavy equipment;•    Logistics support equipment; •    Thermal imagery systems;•    Spare parts and other field equipment.

Japan to provide Ukraine with 100 vehicles, 30,000 dry rations. In addition, Japan will receive wounded Ukrainian soldiers for the first time at the Central Self-Defense Hospital.

Middle East news:

An Iranian nuclear facility is so deep underground that US airstrikes likely couldn’t reach it.

Near a peak of the Zagros Mountains in central Iran, workers are building a nuclear facility so deep in the earth that it is likely beyond the range of a last-ditch U.S. weapon designed to destroy such sites, according to experts and satellite imagery analyzed by The Associated Press.

The photos and videos from Planet Labs PBC show Iran has been digging tunnels in the mountain near the Natanz nuclear site, which has come under repeated sabotage attacks amid Tehran’s standoff with the West over its atomic program.

With Iran now producing uranium close to weapons-grade levels after the collapse of its nuclear deal with world powers, the installation complicates the West’s efforts to halt Tehran from potentially developing an atomic bomb as diplomacy over its nuclear program remains stalled.

Completion of such a facility “would be a nightmare scenario that risks igniting a new escalatory spiral,” warned Kelsey Davenport, the director of nonproliferation policy at the Washington-based Arms Control Association. “Given how close Iran is to a bomb, it has very little room to ratchet up its program without tripping U.S. and Israeli red lines. So at this point, any further escalation increases the risk of conflict.”

World news briefs:

Motivation and Wisdom:

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

Guys, you need to hear this. At least one of you out there needs to hear this.

Life is passing you by. You only get one shot at life, and you’re letting it slip through your fingers, day by day. Life has beaten you down, kicked you in the face, ignored you, punished you, rained on you, assailed you with illnesses and injuries, burdened you with debts and levels of despair that I know are breaking your spirit.

But you have to get up? Do you hear me? You have to get up.

You’re going to get up, get up now, and start fighting back. Do not let despair win. Get up and take a step to confront those things facing you now.

Do it now.

And let these following items lift your spirit and take you to a higher level. You can do this.

You’re meant to do this.

And you have to do this. For yourself. For your family. For your creator.

With all of that being said, I truly hope these help pick up your spirits, revive your hopes, and make you a better person.

That’s it for this edition.

As a reminder, please be kind and try your best to love your fellow Americans.

So many men and women have sacrificed, fought, and died to keep this country together the past 240-plus years. Please work daily to unite our country again. The vast majority of Americans are decent, loving, great people.

Also, please try to be a better person each and every day. Try to be kinder on social media and how you interact with others with whom you disagree.

Please join me again in our next episode, and please stay safe until then.

And with that, I’m out.

Love and peace,

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 motivational self-help book about President Obama, and two realistic war novels: one about World War II and one about Afghanistan. You can find all of these books on Amazon.

P.P.S. Want to know more about me? Click here: About me. You can also learn more about my journey here: Writers are crazy, and I’m crazier than most.

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit stanrmitchell.substack.com/subscribe

Hey guys!

Welcome to the show! In this episode, we’ll be discussing several topics, which you probably haven’t seen in the news. As I always say, our media does a terrible job covering our military and potential hotspots, so I’m hoping to fill this void.

But, in addition to ending the podcast with some awesome motivation and wisdom, we’ll cover:

Timestamp: 1:32. Trump won’t commit to backing Ukraine in war with Russia. 

Timestamp: 11:30. The lure of isolationism, and why it’s wrong. 

Timestamp: 17:01. Biden forced to cut foreign trip short because of failed negotiations regarding the debt ceiling. 

Timestamp: 20:50. Turkey’s longtime president to face down main rival in runoff as uncertainty looms.

Timestamp: 25:05. A far-right nationalist politician may decide Erdogan’s political fate.

Timestamp: 25:45. Why is Erdogan still popular?

Timestamp: 29:23. Ukraine achieving some success in besieged Bakhmut.

Timestamp: 32:45. Germany to supply Ukraine with largest aid package yet, worth nearly $3 billion. 

Timestamp: 34:41. Wagner chief offered to give Russian troop locations to Ukraine, leak says.

Timestamp: 37:14. Russia may have just lost four aircraft in one day. Here’s what we know.

Timestamp: 38:54. Strikes in Russian-held Luhansk showcase Ukraine’s longer-range missiles.

Timestamp: 40:08. A former U.S. Army general predicts 'successful' Ukrainian offensive.

Timestamp: 41:35. Opinion | I’ve never seen the Kremlin so rattled.

Timestamp: 45:46. Russian attack damages Patriot system and Russia agrees to extend Ukraine grain deal in a boost for global food security.

Timestamp: 49:10. China sentences 78-year-old US citizen to life in prison on spying charges.

Timestamp: 50:38. Iran’s leaders are asking for trouble.

Timestamp 52:05. Attack on U.S. convoy in Nigeria.

Timestamp: 53:30. The best part of the show. The motivation and wisdom part. 

Hey guys,

Welcome to the View from the Front podcast. If you just happened to stumble by, let me say a quick word about what we’re doing here.

For those who don’t know, my name is Stan R. Mitchell, and I’m a prior Marine and journalist.

Every week, I primarily do three things with my podcast:

* Work to highlight what our military troops are doing around the world, while also trying to better educate Americans about looming hotspots and foreign policy news you absolutely should know. (Why I focus on foreign policy...)

* Attempt to unite our country and remind us of how lucky we are to live in America. Our division and animosity toward each other is dangerous, and I want to do my small part to remind us that more unites us than divides us, and that most Americans are good and not screaming, crazy extremists like you see on the news all the time. (My thoughts on the division in this country...)

* Finally, I always share plenty of motivation and wisdom at the end of the episode, because I want to do my small part to help encourage you and lift you up. Life is certainly hard, and I think it’s fair to say all of us need all the motivation and encouragement that we can possibly get.

In this episode, we’ll be discussing several topics, that I think will really interest you, and that I almost guarantee you haven’t seen in the news!

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Enough of the sales pitch, I hope you enjoy today’s edition. Again, you should listen to it from the player above.

Source notes:

U.S. news:

Trump won’t commit to backing Ukraine in war with Russia

Former President Donald Trump would not say Wednesday night who he thinks should prevail in Russia’s war against Ukraine, instead telling New Hampshire GOP primary voters that he wants “everybody to stop dying.”

“I want everybody to stop dying. They’re dying. Russians and Ukrainians. I want them to stop dying,” Trump said at CNN’s town hall moderated by “CNN This Morning” anchor Kaitlan Collins. “And I’ll have that done in 24 hours.”

Biden forced to cut foreign trip short because of failed negotiations regarding the debt ceiling.

The three-nation trip had been meant as a triumphant global leadership showcase, and instead threatened to become a truncated reminder of how partisan disagreements have undercut U.S. standing on the global stage.

“I’ve cut my trip short in order to be here for the final negotiations and sign the deal with the majority leader,” Biden said in remarks before departing the White House. “I’ve made clear America is not a deadbeat nation, we pay our bills.”

Turkey election news:

Turkey’s longtime president to face down main rival in runoff as uncertainty looms

Conservative Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan faces a runoff with his main rival in two weeks that will decide who leads a country struggling with sky-high inflation and hosting Syrian refugees as it plays a key role in the Middle East and in NATO expansion.

Election officials said Monday that the May 28 second round will allow Turks to decide if their nation remains under the increasingly authoritarian president’s firm grip for a third decade, or if it can embark on the more democratic course that Kemal Kilicdaroglu has claimed he can deliver.

…

Erdogan faced electoral headwinds due to a cost-of-living crisis and criticism over the government’s response to a devastating February earthquake. But with his alliance retaining its hold on the parliament, Erdogan is now in a good position to win in the second round.

A far-right nationalist politician may decide Erdogan’s political fate

Until Sunday, Sinan Ogan was a fringe, ultranationalist Turkish politician virtually unknown outside Turkey. But for the next two weeks, he may become the most important figure in Turkish politics, potentially deciding President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s political fate.

…

Ogan, the third candidate, received 5.17%, enough to swing the runoff vote in favor of either of the candidates. With that, he found himself as the kingmaker in the most important elections in modern Turkey’s history.

Why is Erdogan still popular?

By many measures, things aren’t great in Turkey right now.

Inflation is at 44% (down from 85% in October), and analysts say it’s likely higher than official numbers suggest. Meanwhile, the lira, Turkey’s currency, is tanking, having fallen 76% during President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s latest term in office (since 2018).

That’s to say nothing of the 1.5 million people left homeless by February’s devastating earthquake, which killed 50,000 in the country’s south and exposed the depths of Ankara’s cronyism and corruption. The list goes on.

But Gabrielle Debinski writes in GZero

* Offered cheap housing loans.

* Implemented a debt-relief program for millions

* Passed a law allowing more than 2 million Turks to retire immediately.

* Raised the minimum wage for the private sector by 94% year-on-year in Jan. 2023.

* Managed to appeal to Islamic conservatives, while also not imposing harsh Islamic laws on non-religious Turks.

Russia and Ukraine news:

Ukraine achieving some success in besieged Bakhmut, Russia says

Russian and Ukrainian forces are engaged in heavy fighting in Bakhmut, the eastern city where Ukrainian soldiers have held out against a months-long assault by the Russian army, officials of both countries said Thursday. But accounts differed on whether it’s the start of Kyiv’s much-anticipated spring counteroffensive.

Yevgeniy Prigozhin, head of the mercenary group Wagner, a key element of the Russian assault on Bakhmut, said the Ukrainian operation was “in full swing” and its forces were attacking his flanks.

“Unfortunately, in some places they are successful,” Prigozhin said in an audio message posted to Telegram. “All the units that have received the necessary training, weapons, equipment, tanks, everything else — they are already fully engaged.”

Later Thursday, he said the attack was “shaping up according to the worst of the predicted scenarios.”

More confirmation and details.

Germany to supply Ukraine with largest aid package yet, worth nearly $3 billion

Germany announced on Saturday that it would supply Ukraine with an aid package worth nearly $3 billion to strengthen the country’s defense, marking Berlin’s largest pledge in military aid since the start of the war.

The German Ministry of Defence said in a statement that the package may include a variety of military hardware, including armoured personnel carriers, 30 Leopard tanks, reconnaissance drones and ammunition.

“With this valuable contribution of urgently needed military material, we are once again showing that Germany is serious about its support,” Germany’s Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said.

Ukraine's President Zelenskyy is in Germany for the first time since Russia invaded

It is his first visit to Berlin since the start of the war and comes a day after the German government announced a new package of military aid for Ukraine worth more than 2.7 billion euros ($3 billion), including tanks, anti-aircraft systems and ammunition.

Zelenskyy thanked Scholz for Germany's political, financial and military support, saying the country is now second only behind the United States in providing aid to Ukraine — and joked that he is working to make it the biggest donor.

Scholz made clear that Kyiv can expect German aid to keep flowing.

"We will support you for as long as necessary," he said, adding that it is up to Russia to end the war by withdrawing its troops.

Wagner chief offered to give Russian troop locations to Ukraine, leak says

In late January, with his mercenary forces dying by the thousands in a fight for the ruined city of Bakhmut, Wagner Group owner Yevgeniy Prigozhin made Ukraine an extraordinary offer.

Prigozhin said that if Ukraine’s commanders withdrew their soldiers from the area around Bakhmut, he would give Kyiv information on Russian troop positions, which Ukraine could use to attack them. Prigozhin conveyed the proposal to his contacts in Ukraine’s military intelligence directorate, with whom he has maintained secret communications during the course of the war, according to previously unreported U.S. intelligence documents leaked on the group-chat platform Discord.

Prigozhin has publicly feuded with Russian military commanders, who he furiously claims have failed to equip and resupply his forces, which have provided vital support to Moscow’s war effort. But he is also an ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, who might well regard Prigozhin’s offer to trade the lives of Wagner fighters for Russian soldiers as a treasonous betrayal.

Wagner boss denies Washington Post report he offered Russian intelligence to Kyiv in exchange for territory

But the head of the Russian paramilitary group speculated the story could have been planted by his enemies, according to an audio message posted to his Telegram channel on Monday.

“I can say with confidence, if we’re being serious, that I have not been in Africa at least since the beginning of the conflict, but in fact a few months before the start of the SMO (Special Military Operation),” Prigozhin said, referring to Moscow’s euphemism for the war in Ukraine.

“Therefore, I simply could not meet with anyone there physically.”

In his message, Prigozhin asked rhetorically, “Who is behind this? I think that either some journalists decided to hype, or comrades from Rublyovka have now decided to make up a beautiful, planted story.” Rublyovka is the name of an affluent neighborhood in Moscow along the Rublyovo-Uspenskoye highway, which is known for its luxurious residential estates and mansions for the Russian elite.

Russia may have just lost four aircraft in one day. Here’s what we know

Russia’s air force may have just suffered one of its worst days since the Ukraine war began. Unconfirmed reports say that four of its aircraft were shot down within Russian territory, in what would mark a significant coup for Ukraine.

There are conflicting accounts about how many planes and helicopters may have been brought down inside the Russian region of Bryansk, but one Russian media outlet says that at least two combat aircraft – an Su-34 and an Su-35 – and two Mi-8 helicopters crashed.

…

Social media videos geolocated by CNN show at least one helicopter crashing near the town of Klintsy in Bryansk, which is 50 kilometers from the Ukrainian border.

Strikes in Russian-held Luhansk showcase Ukraine’s longer-range missiles

An explosion rocked the occupied eastern Ukrainian city of Luhansk early on Monday morning, the latest in a barrage of strikes in recent days that show Kyiv using new, longer-range weapons to hit deep inside Russian-held territory.

Luhansk, controlled by Russian-backed separatists since 2014, sits 60 miles east of the front line and has been out of reach of most Ukrainian weapons, making it a place of relative calm. Since Friday, however, it has come under regular attack.

The Russian Defense Ministry has linked the explosions in Luhansk to Storm Shadow cruise missiles, recently supplied to Ukraine by Britain, which have a range of 155 miles, as well as infrared targeting and stealth capability.

A former U.S. Army general predicts 'successful' Ukrainian offensive

Retired Lt. Gen. Ben Hodges, a former commanding general of U.S. Army Europe: “I actually expect, however, that they will be quite successful. They've been training hard. The West has provided a lot of very good equipment, but also the Ukrainians have worked hard to build up several armored brigades that will be used to penetrate these long, linear Russian defenses.

Opinion | I’ve never seen the Kremlin so rattled

A mysterious drone attack on the Kremlin. A car bombing that wounded a key advocate of the invasion of Ukraine. Four military aircraft shot down in a single day — inside Russia’s borders.

If the Ukrainians and their allies wanted to rattle the Russian leadership, it’s working.

Never, in more than two decades of covering Vladimir Putin’s regime, have I seen it in such an obvious state of chaos and disarray. These days, Kremlin-watchers don’t have to read tea leaves or decode cryptic utterances from the leadership to spot the signs of intrigue — it’s all out in the open, thanks to Putin confidant Yevgeniy Prigozhin.

Russian attack damages Patriot system

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky again called on allies to provide more air defense assets following a barrage of Russian airstrikes on Kyiv. Ukraine’s military shot down 18 missiles during the attacks on the capital, Zelensky said, but more support is needed to protect the entire country. “We need additional air defense systems and missiles,” he said. “We also need modern fighter jets.”

The Patriot air defense system damaged by Russian fire in the vicinity of Kyiv suffered an indirect hit but is still mission capable, a U.S. defense official said Wednesday, though the extent of the damage is still being assessed.

Russia agrees to extend Ukraine grain deal in a boost for global food security

China news:

China sentences 78-year-old US citizen to life in prison on spying charges

China sentenced a 78-year-old United States citizen to life in prison Monday on spying charges, in a case that could exacerbate the deterioration in ties between Beijing and Washington over recent years.

Details of the charges against John Shing-Wan Leung, who also holds permanent residency in Hong Kong, have not been publicly released.

Leung was detained April 15, 2021, by the local bureau of China’s counterintelligence agency in the southeastern city of Suzhou, according to a statement posted by the city’s intermediate court on its social media site. His detention came after China had closed its borders and imposed tight domestic travel restrictions and social controls to fight the spread of COVID-19.

Middle East news:

Iran’s leaders are asking for trouble

But Iran’s conservative government now sees that it’s much easier to use tried-and-true methods to beat back demonstrators than to force all women and girls to wear the hijab in public. After all, many are simply ignoring the rules.

So, authorities have authored a new law and are using new tactics. Women who flout the state’s dress code can be kept out of school and denied services. Businesses that welcome them can be fined or shut down. Last month, cameras were installed in many city streets to boost enforcement. The next ugly confrontation ending in violence and public fury is all but inevitable.

Africa news:

Motivation and Wisdom:

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

Guys, you need to hear this. At least one of you out there needs to hear this.

Life is passing you by. You only get one shot at life, and you’re letting it slip through your fingers, day by day. Life has beaten you down, kicked you in the face, ignored you, punished you, rained on you, assailed you with illnesses and injuries, burdened you with debts and levels of despair that I know are breaking your spirit.

But you have to get up? Do you hear me? You have to get up.

You’re going to get up, get up now, and start fighting back. Do not let despair win. Get up and take a step to confront those things facing you now.

Do it now.

And let these following items lift your spirit and take you to a higher level. You can do this.

You’re meant to do this.

And you have to do this. For yourself. For your family. For your creator.

With all of that being said, I truly hope these help pick up your spirits, revive your hopes, and make you a better person.

That’s it for this edition.

As a reminder, please be kind and try your best to love your fellow Americans.

So many men and women have sacrificed, fought, and died to keep this country together the past 240-plus years. Please work daily to unite our country again. The vast majority of Americans are decent, loving, great people.

Also, please try to be a better person each and every day. Try to be kinder on social media and how you interact with others with whom you disagree.

Please join me again in our next episode, and please stay safe until then.

And with that, I’m out.

Love and peace,

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 motivational self-help book about President Obama, and two realistic war novels: one about World War II and one about Afghanistan. You can find all of these books on Amazon.

P.P.S. Want to know more about me? Click here: About me. You can also learn more about my journey here: Writers are crazy, and I’m crazier than most.

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