Chuck Holton
Politics • Culture • News
Chuck Holton is an American war correspondent, published author, and motivational speaker.
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Update from Ukraine

Hey folks, Chuck Holton here. Uh, I'm just wanting to give you a quick update of what's going on in Ukraine. I'm back in Kiev. Now we've spent about a week down on the front lines, uh, in the south east and near dinette skin in the dumbass region. And now we're back here. Part of the reason we came back is because there's so much information coming out and down there, we just don't have much in the way of, you know, connection.

not a lot of bandwidth to get stuff out. It's a really large area to cover and it's hard to get around down there. And so we're so deep in the, in the weeds out there that we were missing stuff and unable to get some of the content we needed. So we came back here for the time being, and we're kind of keeping an eye on things.

Everybody wants to know if Russia is going to invade Ukraine. And I would say that this short answer to that is only Vladimir Putin ex. The long answer is that Ukrainians certainly don't think so. Because here in Kiev, they are going about their daily lives. As they have been the entire time. They, they, they believe that perhaps Putin will manufacture some sort of, uh, excuse for an incursion in around the dome boss or Denescu regions.

They really don't believe he's going to roll tanks into cave. If that were to happen, it could be bad here because there's three and a half million people in this city. And if they all needed to leave at once, there's just not the capacity in the public transport transport system or anything, it would be chaos.

So we're actually making ex-filtration plans now to figure out what we would have to do if something like that were to happen. Um, I think that right now, Putin is just playing a really high stakes game here with the west. His big sticking point is he says that the, you know, we've got to promise that Ukraine cannot join NATO, but if anything, this buildup on their border has made Ukrainians want to join NATO all the more.

I know there are a lot of people in states that say like, what's the, why do we care? What happens here? And I get that. I understand that. I mean, this is, it doesn't have anything to do with America's vital national interests necessarily, except for the fact that wherever the United States isn't Russia will be.

We've seen that around the globe right now in Syria, in Armenia, in Kazakhstan, in, you know, just a whole region. Russia is expanding its influence its ascendant in world geopolitics. While the United States is pulling back, uh, licking our wounds from Afghanistan and, and with, uh, a weak president, our adversaries are.

Being emboldened around the world. And that's one of the reasons why this happened now and not under Trump, uh, Vladimir Putin wouldn't have done this under Trump. I really, I really don't think he would have because, uh, they, we had a stronger president. The bottom line is it's going to drag on for some time.

I believe it's really hard to say what Putin is going to do, everybody. That's the big question. Everybody wants to know. We really don't know. There are tremendous number of ceasefire violations happening down in the dinette screens. Uh, mortars and artillery and automatic grenade, launchers and machine gun fire, and anti-tank missiles are all being fired across the red line into Ukraine.

Ukrainians are at some, in some instances firing back in order to suppress those fires, but they're not firing on civilian targets. Uh, I was down there. I can tell you that's not happening. Uh, the. Governments, the S of the separatists down there that are backed by Russia are working overtime to make Hollywood level videos and putting out all this information that is supposed to convince people that Ukraine is about to invade Donetsk.

That's not going to happen. That Ukraine is not preparing to invade anybody. I was just. They're dug in. They're not there. They're preparing to defend, not to attack Donetsk. Uh, governments say that they're capturing Ukrainian terrorists through are blowing things up. Uh, you know, they blew up a car in front of a government building in Danesi the other day and they blamed it on the Ukrainians.

Nobody was hurt. Uh, it, it was just after. Ridiculous false flag operation. Another false flag was there where they said that they CA they caught some Polish special forces. Like what does Poland have to do with this Polish special forces ended ask, plotting the blow up some Russian or some tanks or something with chlorine gas, uh, and this huge community of.

Hobbyists that a collect open source Intel got ahold of that video pulled apart, found that the explosions in the video came from a YouTube video from several years ago, from a training event in Finland that they, um, you know, the, the. That they said happened on this date was actually created several days before they said it happened.

And it was created from a mishmash of other videos that were kind of put together. You can tell all that stuff from the metadata when you download the video and they're the people making the videos are too stupid to wipe the metadata. So there you go. I mean, it's. Just sort of comical. It would be funny except for the fact that people in Donetsk are actually believing this stuff to some extent, to some extent, because they are living in a north Korean style government that doesn't allow any access to the outside world.

They've announced evacuations, internets of women and children. We're hearing from some women and children in that region that don't want to go and are trying to hide. We've also heard of that. They're mobilizing the. Military age males in that area. Uh, and conscripting them into the military to fight this Ukrainian invasion.

And they say it's coming. And we know for a fact that most of those people don't want to get conscripted and a lot of them are hiding out to try to avoid it. So it's obvious that Russia is working overtime to create a pretext for. Something down there so far, there's been no incursions that we know of.

No tanks rolling across the border. It's just firing artillery back and forth, and then making accusations in social media. Now the media battlespace is very. And, uh, right now I would say that the Russians are outdoing, the Ukrainians and the media battlespace, the Ukrainians are trying to build up their capacity.

They're kind of too little too late, maybe, but, uh, there, they put up a press office in and they're putting out several press briefings every day. I'm going to post, uh, some portions of their most recent press briefing on here on locals and a pretty quick. That's what we've got so far. Um, I don't know how much longer I'm going to be here, but we'll keep, you know, keeping an eye on things and I'll let you know what's going on.

Uh, thanks for paying attention and for subscribing and for supporting the podcast. And, uh, and me, I appreciate that. Please share it with your friends. Take care.

00:08:04
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Free Burma Rangers Under Fire

WARNING: This video contains graphic material.
The Free Burma Rangers charged into the line of fire to extract the wounded from the frontlines in Burma during the ongoing war for freedom.
One of their own, Ranger Benedict To, was killed in the line of duty as he worked to get those who were wounded out of harms way.

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Episode 622 - Field Producer Dennis Azato and Chuck Reminisce

My erstwhile field producer and cameraman Dennis Azato has accompanied me on ten years of adventures across the globe. Today he joins me in Ukraine and we spend some time remembering our many trips together.

Episode 622 - Field Producer Dennis Azato and Chuck Reminisce
Travel to Armenia with Chuck Holton

Join us for an unforgettable 10-day adventure through Armenia. Explore ancient Christian sites, breathtaking mountains, and the resilient spirit of the Armenian people, guided by Chuck Holton and his family. Perfect for couples, Christian adventurers, photographers & drone lovers. $2700 per person – limited spots available! Link to application and details here, https://www.holtonnews.com/armenia-tour/

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Looking to Adopt?

Two sweet dogs were left on Chuck’s property and we’re hoping to find them a loving home. They’re both friendly and healthy—the black one is a sweet little female and the brown one is a gentle male.

If you’re on the East Coast or near southern West Virginia and would like to adopt them, please email [email protected] to coordinate pickup.

Let’s find these two a good home.

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The national library of Israel

A hot zone viewer named Rachael works at the national library of Israel and invited me for a tour today. Fascinating! Thank you, Rachel!

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Blood Sea:
 Why the Houthis Just Sank Two Ships

 

This week, the Houthis took their war to a whole new level—sinking two commercial ships in the Red Sea in just a matter of days. First, the Magic Seas was hit and went down. Then came the Eternity C, boarded by armed Houthi fighters who planted explosives on the hull and detonated them. The shocking video released by the group shows militants moving through the ship, firing weapons into walls and windows. Most of the crew is still unaccounted for.

So why now?

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Ceasefire Illusions and the Battle for Real Peace in the Middle East

By Chuck Holton
Reporting from Jerusalem, Israel

Another Strike Looms: Israel Eyes Fordow, Again

As tensions simmer just beneath the surface in the Middle East, the illusion of ceasefires continues to dominate headlines. But from the ground here in Jerusalem, the reality is far different. Israel appears to be preparing for another potential strike on Iran—particularly the Fordow nuclear facility—amid concerns that time is running out to neutralize the threat of uranium enrichment. Israeli leadership is not waiting for diplomatic ceremonies. They’ve made it clear: the truce was conditional, and they reserve the right to act if Iran continues to endanger Israeli security.

That resolve was evident in Prime Minister Netanyahu’s recent visit to Washington, D.C., where he met twice with President Trump. Despite public speculation, it’s clear Netanyahu was not simply seeking peace talks. He emphasized the necessity of "finishing the job in Gaza" and praised America’s support—particularly the determination of U.S. B2 bomber pilots—as instrumental in reshaping the conflict.


Houthi Menace: Political Theater with Real Victims

Meanwhile, in a display of violence as propaganda, the Iranian-backed Houthis released another highly-produced video showing the sinking of commercial vessels like the Magic Seas—Greek-flagged, Liberian-registered, and completely unaffiliated with Israel. These attacks aren’t strategic; they’re sensational. Poorly trained operatives parading around as commandos show that the goal isn’t military victory but media relevance.

The real tragedy? Innocent seafarers becoming casualties in a conflict they never signed up for. And with every new attack, the narrative of peace grows thinner.


The Ceasefire Charade

Despite high-level efforts—most notably by President Trump—to broker ceasefires across the region, the facts on the ground reveal continued hostilities:

  • In Lebanon, Israeli forces are conducting daily drone strikes and eliminating Hezbollah leadership.

  • In Syria, IDF troops continue operations, targeting Iranian militias and weapons depots.

  • In Iran, mysterious explosions still rock military sites and infrastructure, hinting at covert operations.

  • In Gaza, heavy IDF activity persists as troops push deeper into urban strongholds like Beit Hanoun and Khan Yunis.

These are not signs of peace. These are signs of a nation that understands its survival depends on vigilance.


The Gaza Dilemma: Feeding the War Machine?

The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation has now distributed over 65 million meals to civilians in Gaza—funded in large part by U.S. taxpayers. But while the aid is vital for many, it raises a vital question: at what cost?

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Facts, Not Feelings

“Why Don’t You Talk About the Deaths in Gaza?”

That question came up—again. And here’s my answer: I do talk about it, just not in the way people want me to. If your side orchestrates an atrocity like October 7th, you don’t get to demand that the world ignore your consequences. Self-defense isn’t genocide.

Do civilians die in war? Of course—and every loss is tragic. But according to third-party data, the civilian-to-combatant ratio in Gaza is one of the lowest in modern warfare. Lower than in Iraq or Afghanistan. Lower than in Yemen. Lower even than Israel’s last major operations.

And no, Gaza isn’t being depopulated. In fact, population numbers show there are more people in Gaza today than at the war’s start. For a so-called genocide, that’s one remarkably inefficient campaign.


Crossing Borders and Cultures

Joining me in Israel is my good friend Oscar Blue Ramirez, who experienced firsthand what real border security looks like. After flying into Jordan, he spent over nine hours just trying to cross into Israel. From chaos on the Jordanian side to four-hour inspections on the Israeli end, Oscar came through sunburned, smoked out, and very much enlightened.

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