The Mykolaiv Postal Pharmacy is more of a bunker than anything else. The pictures on the walls have been replaced with shock-absorbing wooden slats and a soldier armed with an AK47 checks passports. The war changes everything, even the postal service.
After passing all the controls we arrived at the office of Yehor Kosorukov, the director of the postal service of the region. From his office you can see the city's military airfield, the scene of heavy fighting between Ukrainian and Russian troops. He opens the window to show us around and the room lights up. He opens it from afar and when we look out he reminds us: “Be careful, there may be snipers ahead”. Then he avoids the window and explains why he decided to stay in front of the post office.
In Ukraine the postal service is critical for some areas of the country. “There are places where there are no shops, but there is a post office. We sell oil, toilet paper, socks…”, says Yehor. In addition, they are the ones who are in charge of paying the pensions. Without them, life in some cities would have been much more difficult.
From 330 to 15 workers
A critical work in the middle of a war that he continued to wage even under Russian fire. Some 330 people previously worked in the building, but since the war broke out, only 15 remain.
Some workers suffered the consequences of an enemy attack and the delivery vehicles bear marks of shots or shrapnel. In the very building where we are, you can see the effects of a missile, like the hole in the roof in the backyard. "I'm not complaining, I'm just explaining it to you," he says.
Despite everything, Kosorukov is reluctant to leave. “I am in charge of a critical infrastructure. We have a mission here and the captain must be the last to leave ”, he assures.
From carrying invoices and postal services to between drones and night vision cameras
Not only has his routine been affected by the war, but also the contents of the packages. Bank bill sharing has been replaced by night vision goggles for soldiers. What used to be Christmas cards are now drones carrying grenades to fight the Russians.
The phone rings and shows us the screen: a satellite image from the Ukrainian defense services in which they have detected a Russian missile. On its trajectory, it is heading towards Mykolaiv. Our remains silent and Yehor looks at the sky. A minute of silence that the director breaks with a snort, rolls his eyes and makes a gesture of meditating. “Silence”, he says as we continue walking towards the exit escorted by him. "I don't like silence, it makes me nervous," he says before saying goodbye.
