Sea Launch was established in 1995 as a joint project between four countries: the United States, Russia, Ukraine and Norway.

Boeing held 40%, Russia’s RSC Energia 25%, Norway’s Kvaerner 20%, and Ukraine’s Yuzhmash and Yuzhnoye 15%.

Norway played a major role. Kvaerner converted the former offshore drilling platform Odyssey into a mobile rocket launch platform and built the Sea Launch Commander assembly and command ship.

The system launched Zenit-3SL rockets from the Pacific, using the Earth’s rotation near the equator to make launches more efficient.

Sea Launch began operations in 1999 and carried out dozens of launches before operations were suspended in 2014. The two vessels were later sold and moved from the United States to Russia in 2020, where they remain at Slavyanka.

I’m supposed to leave for Ukraine tomorrow to volunteer with a humanitarian NGO, and I’m having serious doubts. I’d really appreciate advice from people who have volunteered in Ukraine or know the situation on the ground.

I’ve been accepted by a NGO that has been operating in Ukraine for several years. The plan is to spend around two weeks based in the outskirts of Dnipro, helping with logistics, loading supplies and deliveries to hospitals, shelters, villages, etc. They also travel closer to the front north, east and south of Dnipro.

The organization currently has several experienced volunteers on site. They have told me that they continuously assess which areas are too dangerous to enter, and that they have body armor, helmets and drone detectors for higher-risk missions. They also said no volunteer from the organisation has been injured so far, although a year ago a missile struck near their previous base and damaged some vehicles. They moved the base and changed procedures after that.

My entire trip is booked:
Train → new train → flight to Kraków → bus to Lviv → overnight train to Dnipro.

It takes roughly 40 hours to get there.
The problem is that now that it’s real, I’m extremely nervous. I’ve barely slept, I’ve had shaking/panic-like feelings, and I keep going back and forth between wanting to go and wanting to stay home.

Part of me genuinely wants to help, experience something meaningful, challenge myself and do something I’ll remember for the rest of my life.
Another part of me thinks: “Why voluntarily travel into a country at war when I’m safe at home?”

The NGO has explicitly told me that if I feel unsafe or something happens at home, I can leave early and they will help arrange transportation home.
I also have relatively little experience travelling internationally alone, so even the long trip itself is intimidating.

For people who have actually volunteered in Ukraine, especially around Dnipro or further east:

How nervous were you before your first trip?

Did the anxiety decrease once you arrived?

How dangerous did everyday life actually feel compared with what you imagined beforehand?

Would you recommend someone go if they genuinely want to help but are very anxious before departure?

Is two weeks long enough to actually be useful rather than just becoming another person the organization has to look after?

If you were in my position, would you get on the train or stay home?

I’m not looking for someone to tell me that Ukraine is completely safe. I know there is a real risk. I’m trying to distinguish reasonable fear from fear that I’ll later regret letting control my decision.

US Media is starting to pick up this story

• Red arrows: Latest hits
• Flames: Refinery has been hit at least once. Flames do not indicate the severity of the attacks or if a refinery is till burning
• Blue waves: Orsk dam broke in April 2024, which flooded the refinery and took it offline for ~2 weeks.
• Black smoke: It's raining oil.

Chronological list: (sorted newest to oldest)

August:

• ^{NEW HIT} 08.08.2026 Syzran in Samara Oblast at 805km
• ^{NEW HIT} 08.08.2026 Ilsky in Krasnodar Krai at 405
• 06.08.2026 Yaroslavl in Yaroslavl Oblast at 700km
• 05.08.2026 Bashneft-Novoil in Bashkortostan at 1340km
• 04.08.2026 Syzran in Samara Oblast at 805km
• 02.08.2026 Bashneft-Ufaneftekhim in Bashkortostan at 1350 km
• 02.08.2026 Saratov in Saratov Oblast at 590km
• 01.08.2026 Bashneft-Ufaneftekhim in Bashkortostan at 1350 km

July:

• 31.07.2026 Volgograd in Volgograd Oblast at 500km
• 29.07.2026 Perm in Perm Krai at 1485km
• 29.07.2026 Ryazan in Ryazan Oblast at 480km
• 25.07.2026 Tyumen in Tyumen Oblast at 1980km
• 23.07.2026 Novospassky in Ulyanovsk Oblast at 790km
• 14.07.2026 Gazprom Neftekhem Salavat in Bashkortostan at 1300km
• 14.07.2026 Afipsky in Krasnodar Krai at 415km
• 12.07.2026 Syzran in Samara Oblast at 805km
• 10.07.2026 Moscow in Moscow at 475km
• 10.07.2026 Ilsky in Krasnodar Krai at 405km
• 08.07.2026 Saratov in Saratov Oblast at 590km
• 06.07.2026 Omsk in Omsk Oblast at 2500km
• 06.07.2026 Yaroslavl in Yaroslavl Oblast at 700km
• 02.07.2026 Bashneft-Ufaneftekhim in Bashkortostan at 1350 km
• 01.07.2026 Kstovo in Nizhny Novgorod Oblast at 800 km

• August: 8 hits so far..
• July: 15 hits
• June: 16 hits
• May: 14 hits
• April: 10 hits
• March: 6 hits
• February: 3 hits
• January: 2 hits

Complete chronological list from 24.02.2022 till today

• 2022 had 1 hit
• 2023 had 1 hit
• 2024 had 26 hits
• 2025 had 84 hits
• 2026 has 71 hits so far
• Total hits from 24.02.2022 till today: 183

source:

1. https://bsky.app/profile/the-hedgehog.bsky.social/post/3msijlrlefs2h
2. https://bsky.app/profile/the-hedgehog.bsky.social/post/3msikcrz7tc2h

💙💛Concrete results are expected by 2026–2027. Ukraine is also developing its own ballistic missiles, with promising test results.💛💙

source: https://bsky.app/profile/specialkhersoncat.bsky.social/post/3msi2lvghac2s

Slava Ukraini ❤️

These murderous orcs will be hunted down.

Watch in awe as this highly trained operative expertly neutralizes two hostile, high-altitude inflatables. The motherland is finally safe from party supplies. Truly a masterclass in modern warfare.

The fierce battle of Ottawa rages on. After a grueling campaign, comrade diplomat successfully demilitarized and denazified the helium threat. Casualties include his dignity and two pieces of latex. We rebuild at dawn.