Oleksandr Mazyr. Photo: Bengt Sigvardsson
Risking their lives, mail carriers in Ukraine deliver mail amid air raid alerts and drone attacks. Oleksandr Mazyr can attest to this. The post office where he worked for 15 years is one of hundreds that have been destroyed during Russia’s war of aggression.
Oleksandr Mazyr, 61, looks at the battered facade of a high-rise building in Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv. He points to one of the entrances, which is now covered by a sheet of plywood.
“That’s where the entrance to the post office was, where I worked as a mail carrier for 15 years. It was destroyed in a Russian drone attack on August 28, 2025,” says Oleksandr.
It is one of approximately 590 post offices operated by the state-run postal service Ukrposhta that have been completely or partially destroyed since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
“The attack took place early in the morning, so thankfully there were no people in the building,” says Oleksandr.
Oleksandr Mazyr has photos on his cell phone showing the devastation after the post office in the Berezniaky district of Kyiv was hit by a drone attack. Photo: Private
Mail carriers are being assigned to wartime duty
It is unclear whether the post office was the target of the attack, but Ukrposhta is considered an essential service. Mail carriers deliver mail, pensions, medications, and other supplies to the areas hardest hit by the war.
In some places, Ukrposhta is the only functioning state financial institution. For this reason, half of the male staff are exempt from mobilization. Instead, they are assigned to military duty at the post office.
“I wanted to join the army when the war broke out, but my application was rejected. They thought I was too old and that I would be more useful at the post office,” Oleksandr says.
More than 60 killed in the line of duty
45 Ukrposhta employees have been killed in the line of duty, primarily mail carriers and drivers. At the private company Nova Poshta, 18 employees have lost their lives.
Hundreds of thousands of buildings have been destroyed or damaged during Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine. Photo: Bengt Sigvardsson
When air raid sirens sound in Kyiv, postal workers continue to work, even though the airstrikes sometimes last for several hours.
“The only time mail delivery was suspended in Kyiv was during the first two days of the war, because at that point no one knew whether pro-Russian forces would take over certain residential areas. But that never happened, so we continued as usual,” says Oleksandr.
Distributes cash
Oleksandr describes his job as a mail carrier as “pretty quiet” before the war.
“There were six of us mail carriers working from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. in about 20 high-rise apartment buildings. If you worked efficiently, you could take it easy in the afternoon. Over the years, the number of letters has decreased due to digitization, but Ukrposhta’s most important task has always been to deliver pensions,” he says.
Pensions are paid out in cash. Mail carriers go door to door and hand the money over to the recipients or to family members with power of attorney.
One of Oleksandr Mazyr’s most important duties as a mail carrier was to deliver pensions in cash. Photo: Bengt Sigvardsson
At the start of the war, postal workers were worried that the security system would collapse. If that happened, they would become easy targets for robbery.
“But the police have kept the area safe. I’ve never been the victim of an attempted robbery,” says Oleksandr.
15 stories and a broken elevator
Shortly after the outbreak of the war, the number of mail carriers in the area was reduced from six to two. This was due in part to mobilization, but also to the fact that many residents moved away.
“The number of mail items went down, but our workload went up. Now there were only two of us delivering mail to 20 high-rise buildings,” says Oleksandr.
Russia regularly attacks Ukraine's energy infrastructure, leading to prolonged power outages during which, among other things, the elevators stop working.
“The buildings here are 15 stories tall, but the mail has to be delivered even if the elevators aren’t working. I’ve managed to handle it with my wife’s help and by sometimes working on Saturdays and Sundays, without extra pay,” says Oleksandr.
Losing one's job
Shortly before the post office was destroyed, Ukrposhta decided to reduce the number of mail carriers in the area to one person.
“I was the one who had to leave because I was the oldest,” Oleksandr says.
During his years as a mail carrier, Oleksandr Mazyr has collected a large number of Ukrposhta’s commemorative letters and stamps. Photo: Bengt Sigvardsson
He can speak freely about his job because he is no longer an employee. Due to Ukrposhta’s strategic importance, management does not allow interviews with active mail carriers. No postal worker in the Kyiv area is willing to be interviewed, not even on condition of anonymity.
This may be due to the fact that a state of emergency is in effect. This results in a significant weakening of labor laws. For example, employers can terminate employees without valid cause.
“People are afraid of losing their jobs. They don’t dare to protest or complain,” says Oleksandr.
“Just as many social workers”
Among the general public, the status of mail carriers has risen significantly.
“We’re always there for them. How would the seniors manage without us? If they don’t have any children or relatives left here, we’re usually the only people they talk to. If they need help with grocery shopping or picking up medication, we take care of it. So it’s not just about delivering pensions and letters. We’re just as much social workers as we are mail carriers,” says Oleksandr.
Natalia Mazur is the president of the Ukrainian Communications Workers’ Union. “I am proud of our postal workers,” she says. Photo: Bengt Sigvardsson
At Ukrposhta’s headquarters in Kyiv, Natalia Mazur, president of the Trade Union of Communications Workers of Ukraine, explains that Ukrposhta holds strong symbolic significance.
“We are the last state-owned company to leave areas that fall under Russian occupation and the first to be on the ground when they are liberated. I am proud of our postal workers, who are working for low wages in this difficult situation,” says Natalia.
4,000 kronor per month
Vira Shaiieva, vice chair of the union at Ukraine's state-owned postal service, says the salary is about 4,000 kronor a month.
“It has gone up by 8 percent since 2022, but inflation has been significantly higher. You can’t live a good life on that salary,” says Vira.
“A great many members are struggling with mental health issues,” says Vira Shaiieva, vice president of the union at the state-owned postal service. Photo: Bengt Sigvardsson
The state of emergency also means that strikes are prohibited and that employees must work on public holidays. At some post offices, staff are denied vacation time.
The union’s room for negotiation is limited. The focus now is largely on providing humanitarian aid to its members. It also organizes activities for the children of postal workers, such as summer camps.
“A great many members are struggling with mental health issues, but we can offer emotional or psychological support and help them financially when we can,” Natalia concludes.
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