As soon as the Ukrposhta van stops in the centre of Kryva Luka, a dozen residents, mostly older people, gather round. They are here to collect money, pensions and parcels, and to buy some basic products.
Ukrposhta, Ukraine’s state postal service, has been operating this mobile post office system since 2020, two years before Russia’s full-scale invasion. Today, however, it is not just convenient: it is a lifeline for those living in areas where infrastructure has been destroyed.
Kryva Luka is one of these areas. It is 30 kilometres shy of Ukraine’s front line against Russia in the Donetsk region, close enough to face bombardment.
