Delivering Under Fire: How Nova Post Became a Wartime Success Story in Ukraine
GeokHub
Contributing Writer
CHERNIHIV, Ukraine — Dec 22 (GeokHub) As an air raid siren cut through the morning rush at a parcel depot in northern Ukraine, staff and customers calmly moved into a concrete shelter. Minutes later, once the all-clear sounded, they returned to work — sorting packages as if nothing had happened.
This routine has become everyday life for Nova Post, one of Ukraine’s largest private companies, as it continues to operate through missile strikes, blackouts and frontline disruptions nearly four years into Russia’s invasion.
Operating Through War
Despite constant threats to infrastructure and staff safety, Nova Post now delivers more than 1.5 million parcels daily, making it one of the few major non-defence-sector firms to expand during wartime.
In cities like Chernihiv, about 125 kilometres north of Kyiv, drone attacks are frequent and energy facilities are often targeted, plunging neighbourhoods into darkness. Yet branches remain open.
“We are constantly changing our processes and adapting to wartime conditions,” said regional manager Hanna Honchar, standing amid stacks of parcels ranging from books and food to generators and furniture.
From Disruptor to Lifeline
Founded in 2001, Nova Post transformed Ukraine’s postal sector by introducing one- to two-day deliveries, breaking the long-standing dominance of the state postal service. During the war, the company has taken on a new role — acting as a logistical lifeline linking western regions to frontline cities in the east and south.
It also serves millions of Ukrainians displaced across Europe, delivering goods to refugees far beyond Ukraine’s borders.
Company executives say further expansion is planned in 2026.
Growth Amid Heavy Losses
Operating during war has come at a high human and financial cost.
Since the invasion began, 249 Nova Post employees have died — including 227 who were mobilised and killed in combat, and 22 civilians killed during strikes on cities far from the front lines.
The company has also absorbed significant damage, with roughly 1 billion hryvnias lost to destroyed facilities and another 3 billion hryvnias covering nearly 138,000 destroyed parcels.
Despite this, Nova Post often remains one of the last major businesses operating in dangerous areas. It only closed its final branches in the besieged eastern city of Pokrovsk earlier this year and continues deliveries to frontline locations such as Kherson.
Record Deliveries and Expanding Abroad
Nova Post delivered a record 480 million shipments in 2024, a 16% increase from the previous year, and expects double-digit growth again in 2025, driven partly by a strong holiday season.
Net profit rose about 35% in the first nine months of 2025 compared with the same period a year earlier.
The company now employs around 30,000 people and has rapidly expanded its infrastructure, increasing automated parcel lockers and branch locations nationwide.
Internationally, Nova Post has grown from operating in just two countries before the war to a presence in 16 countries across Europe. It is also looking to expand deliveries to and from the United States, China and other global markets.
Powering Through Blackouts
To keep services running, the company has invested heavily in generators, backup gas supplies and satellite internet systems.
“If the power goes out, we switch to generators and satellite connections,” said branch manager Ihor Shutkovskyi. “Even when the city has no internet, we keep working.”
Branches have become informal community hubs during outages, with residents stopping by to charge phones or dry their hair.
For the holiday season, Nova Post has introduced festive packaging inspired by traditional Ukrainian paper-cut art, aiming to bring moments of joy despite the hardship.
