Ukraine's postal service сloses Kostiantynivka branch in Donetsk Oblast as front line approaches

Ukrposhta, Ukraine's state-owned postal service, is closing its offices in the front-line city of Kostiantynivka in Donetsk Oblast due to the deteriorating security situation, company CEO Ihor Smilyanskyi announced on Aug. 20.

Russian forces are now within around six kilometers (3.7 miles) of the Kostiantynivka's outskirts, according to the open-source mapping project DeepState.

In cities near the front lines, Ukrposhta serves as a critical lifeline for local residents, delivering essential packages and pension payments to vulnerable populations.

The postal service chief reported that the company was forced to shutter its Kostiantynivka branch because conditions had become too dangerous to continue operations.

"For a long time in Kostiantynivka, we were alone: no banks, no competitor colleagues. Only Ukrposhta was there, supporting the lives of thousands of people," Smilyanskyi wrote on his Facebook page on Aug. 20.

The last branch of Nova Poshta, a private Ukrainian postal company that also delivers to front-line cities, closed in May.

Since June 2025, the front-line city has been facing a looming "humanitarian catastrophe" as ongoing Russian strikes destroy critical infrastructure, leaving residents without electricity, gas, and a stable water supply.

Kostiantynivka has been under constant drone attacks that have brought significant destruction to the city over the spring and summer, as reported by Kyiv Independent's journalists who spent 24 hours in the city.

In late July, Russian forces made significant advances toward Kostiantynivka as part of Russia's summer offensive campaign, according to Victor Trehubov, a spokesperson for Ukraine's Khortytsia group of forces.

In mid-June, Ukrainian monitoring group DeepState reported Russian advances near Kostiantynivka, about 47 kilometers (29 miles) southeast of the embattled town. The city is now surrounded on three sides by Russian forces.

According to Ukrposhta's CEO Smilyanskyi, the nearest operating branches to Kostiantynivka are located 5-7 kilometers (3-4.3 miles) away in Druzhkivka and Oleksievo-Druzhkivka.

The postal company also continues operations in Dobropillia in Donetsk Oblast, where active Russian military advances are occurring, and almost no functioning businesses remain.