Larisa Navrotska is part of a quiet but brave army of postal workers connecting remote Ukrainian communities close to the battlefield with the outside world. Working for the national postal service in eastern Ukraine often means entering dangerous frontline areas dominated by drones, which have caused the vast majority of casualties in this war. Their job is dangerous. In the four-year war, Russian attacks damaged or completely destroyed more than 500 Ukrainian post offices. Ukrposhta says trucks like the Larysa are also targeted because they carry items such as drone parts to frontline troops. The Russian Defense Ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment. At least nine postal workers died on the job. Larisa and her driver Vitaly usually serve about 6,500 people every month. Today they visit three villages. Their most loyal customers are retirees waiting for their monthly check. Larysa delivers more than just mail. It brings income as well as groceries, medicine, news and a familiar face to talk to those living in isolation. This junction in Larisa’s hometown is the last brick post office on the road to the front. When jobs became scarce after the collapse of the Soviet Union, Larisa came to this very post office hoping to find a job. Now married with a son, he stays in Vasilkovka, doing almost all the postal work – courier, clerk, cashier and, unofficially, keeping the spirits up in the office. Many here are proud of the basic service they provide, but they also want to be compensated for the risks they take. And today they have an opportunity to express their opinion. Their boss, the head of Ukrposhta came to visit. The war also put a price on food delivery in some villages. After receiving their stipends, some residents even return what little they have to postal workers to donate to the war effort. It is the community that has kept Larisa on track all these years.
