The CEO of Ukraine’s Postal Service on Wartime Logistics
How Ukrposhta is delivering the mail.
A Ukrainian policeman walks past a damaged mail depot following missile strikes in Korotych, Ukraine.
Photographer: Sergey Bobok/AFP/Getty ImagesIf you order something from Ukraine right now, be it a T-shirt or a vintage Christmas ornament, chances are it will arrive on time and in good shape. Not only is the country's mail service still operating, even as it grapples with an invasion by Russia, but the role of the post office has also changed. The mail has become a lifeline for Ukrainians who rely on it to receive pension payments, medicine, or to run online businesses as domestic jobs get disrupted. So how exactly is the Ukrainian mail system working right now? What operational and logistical changes has it had to make to keep going, and what does the service's future look like? In this episode, we speak with Igor Smelyansky, the CEO of Ukrposhta, about delivering the mail during a time of war. This transcript has been lightly edited for clarity.
Key insights from the pod:
How packages get from Ukraine to the US — 3:46
Delivering cash and medicines within Ukraine — 5:45
Labor availability and delivering the mail — 7:46
Using Starlink to support the mail delivery — 10:00
Efficiency gains discovered through new wartime processes - 09:30
Postal service and circulation of Ukrainian currency —11:22
Financing for Ukrposhta - 14:55
Building a relationship with the military - 19:25
E-commerce in Ukraine - 22:10
Ukraine’s wartime stamps - 23:55
Challenges of delivering mail by rail - 26:25
Postal pricing mechanisms - 29:17
Procurement decisions — 32:33