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This is going to sound utterly selfish and unimportant in light of what's happening in Ukraine, but I ordered something fairly substantial from a colleague of mine in Kyiv only two days before the attack on the country started, and it got me wondering about how the post actually works in times of war and other disasters.
History is filled with stories of letters written, sent, and received in the midst of such things, but I am wondering how. Do countries have some sort of unwritten agreement that post is allowed to pass even amidst falling bombs and flying bullets?
To be clear: I would rather know that my colleague is alive and well, than worry about something that can easily be replaced; it is more an 'academic' question on whether or not it will, and if it does, how.
Maybe @postierich can answer if he's still on here.
I think most things bumble on as best they can in the circumstances, water, power, food supply chains. 90% (made up number) of Ukraine isn't a battlefield right now so stuff will still be going on to some extent
Don't think it's selfish; I know how it works for the military, but I'd be curious how it works these days for the civilian population trying to get on with life.
Maybe @postierich can answer if he’s still on here.
Pretty sure he's not worked through a major war....
One of the first casualties in WW2 was the Gdansk central post office, because the power of communication was crucial
Love letters etc would have gone via the army I expect.
No idea how it works these days but I can't imagine their postal service is functioning.
More shoes?
In a similar vein I'm amazed to see trains still running. I mean I'm not really because they're needed to move people but it gives the impression of life going on when you expect everything to just stop.
I would not have a clue about Post getting through and war 😉 only served in a civil war in The island of Ireland
I suspect personal letters etc work by messenger.
"I am going to leave to night for safety"
"I can't leave *insert reason here" can you take this letter and post it if yoou can, its telling my family the dogs dug up some frozen sausages, and my shoes are damp but generally i am safe and i love them very much"
"ofcourse i will, i hope to see you again, good luck"
Infrastructure is pretty key to a country functioning, while the areas of actual fighting may be cut off and in disarray the rest of the country still has to operate and there will be movement of people in and out of these areas.
A commercial package might be more problematic delivery. I imagine FedEx would be to bothered gettign the logistics contract from the ukranian government to bother with such trivialities.
Not relevant to SR's post but...a piece on R4 this morning about the Hungarian Revolution in 1956; a russian soldier sent to Hungary as part of the army to suppress the uprising - pregnant wife gets letter from soviet gov stating husband has died in conflict - shock causes wife to go into very premature labour, gives birth to twins who both die soon after - soon after she gets a letter from her husband dated days after the gov death notification saying he's OK but in a difficult situation - returns home when short-lived uprising is put down.