Delivering mail on the front lines in Ukraine

Larissa Navrodka is part of a quiet but courageous army of postal workers who connect Ukraine's remote communities near the battlefields with the outside world. Working at the state post office in eastern Ukraine often means entering dangerous frontline areas dominated by drones and responsible for the majority of casualties in this war. Their work is dangerous. More than 500 post offices in Ukraine have been damaged or completely destroyed by Russian attacks during the four-year war. Ukrpošta said delivery trucks like Larisa are also being targeted as they transport drone parts and other items to front-line troops. Russia's Ministry of Defense did not respond to requests for comment. At least nine postal workers died on the job. Larissa and her driver, Vitaly, typically serve about 6,500 people each month. Today they are visiting three villages. The most loyal customers are retirees who are waiting for their monthly checks. Larysa is more than just mail. Not only does she bring income, but she also brings food, medicine, news, and a familiar face to chat to those living in isolation. This location in Larissa's hometown is the last brick-and-mortar postal branch on the front lines. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, when there was a shortage of work, Larissa came to this very post office in search of work. Now married and with a son, she remains at Wasylkivka, doing just about every postal job to keep morale up as a courier, clerk, cashier and, unofficially, the company's cheerleader. Many here are proud of the essential services they provide, but they also want to be compensated for the risks they take on. And today they have the opportunity to make that case. Their boss, the head of Ukrposhta, came to visit them. The war has also placed a premium on food delivery in some villages. Some residents who receive pensions return what little assets they have to postal workers to contribute to the war effort. What has kept Larysa going over the years is the community.