How post offices became a frontline indicator
The closure of postal offices in frontline regions often leaves their residents cut off from the outside world. Kiril, whose village is under shelling, shows why they have become so important.
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Editor’s Note:
For millions of Ukrainians, delivery services are not just courier services, but vital channels without which life would become extremely difficult. In this article, we describe the final days of operations at a branch in the Zaporizhzhia region, which is critically close to the front lines.
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On April 24, Kiril had to call all the customers whose packages were at the Nova Post — the largest postal company in Ukraine — and ask them for the most convenient place to have their shipments redirected.
Because he would no longer be working there.
Almost anyone living in settlements near the battlefield knows the rule: when the post office closes, the situation in the area is dire. Kiril’s village of Komyshuvakha, in Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia Oblast and just 20 kilometers from the front line, found itself in exactly that position.
In wartime Ukraine, postal services have become a lifeline, connecting frontline regions with the rest of the country. They extend far beyond their usual functions, with branches serving as hubs for delivering humanitarian aid or as places to charge a phone.
With a deep understanding of how important the post is for Ukrainians, Russia often targets its branches, sorting hubs, and depots. During the latest massive air attack on June 15, for example, Russia destroyed Nova Post’s largest, most innovative sorting hub in Kyiv. Just two days later, on June 17, the company’s hub in Sumy, a city close to the Russian border, was damaged. Previously, post offices were targeted in Dnipro, Kharkiv, Slovyansk, Kramatorsk, and other сities located near the frontline.
When security conditions become critical, there is no other solution but to terminate operations at its branches in towns and villages near the frontline, cutting off the population from crucial logistics services. The closure of postal branches in these towns and villages carries a grim warning for the locals that the war is getting closer to their homes.
After the paywall:
Why Kiril decided to open the post office in the frontline region;
How it operated under the FPV and glide bomb strikes, as well as blackouts;
How the postal branches decide when to leave the settlement.
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