Ukraine's state postal service, Ukrposhta, is operating under constant threat from Russian attacks, with its workers delivering essential services to communities near the front lines. Igor Smelyansky, head of Ukrposhta, described a daily process of assessing risks and deploying staff to ensure the delivery of pensions, medicine, and mail to millions of vulnerable Ukrainians.
"If it's too dangerous to go today, we won't go," Smelyansky stated. "We'll go tomorrow, or we'll go somewhere else. The key is to be as agile as you can." The service is crucial for elderly and poor citizens in remote villages where access to shops and transportation is limited and dangerous due to the ongoing conflict.
Ukrposhta has become a target for Russia, which has intensified attacks on postal workers, sorting offices, and logistical hubs. Smelyansky believes these attacks are deliberate attempts to pressure the Ukrainian population by disrupting essential supplies. "By attacking Ukrposhta, you put pressure on people… who are depending on the truck coming in," he said. Russia denies targeting civilians.
Since 2022, hundreds of Ukrposhta branches and vehicles have been impacted, and more than 50 employees have lost their lives. Despite the dangers, postal workers continue their rounds, providing a critical link to the Ukrainian state for many in isolated areas.
Kateryna Marynych, a postal worker in the Zaporizhzhia region, shared her experience delivering services in areas close to the front. Having lost her home and husband during the invasion, she now operates from a postal van after her local office was destroyed. "It's a long way for us to travel to Zaporizhzhia. Especially now, at a time when there are attacks all around us. The fact that they come here is really nice," said one customer, Nadiia.
Another resident, Oleksandrivna, 77, relies on the service for medicine. "We would be stuffed! I am just out of hospital after a stroke. Where could I go for my medicine?" she asked. Mykola, 64, highlighted the social aspect: "It is very important. It's one of the few joys of the month: you come out, have a chat with people, collect your pension, and go home."
Marynych and her partner, Slava, who drives the van and handles parcels, wear body armor and use an antenna to detect small drones when operating near the front lines. They have narrowly avoided drone attacks. "It is my work," Marynych said. "If I can't, who will do my job?" The attacks on Ukrposhta are seen as part of Russia's broader strategy to pressure Ukraine, as its advances on the battlefield have stagnated. The disruption of civilian infrastructure, including essential services like postal delivery, is viewed by analysts as an alternative means of exerting pressure on Kyiv.