Recent Russian military actions have resulted in significant damage to Ukrainian postal services, with four branches of “Ukrposhta” either completely destroyed or partially damaged. According to the operator’s head, Ihor Smiliansky, some employees sustained injuries during these incidents.
Smiliansky reported that the morning began with an attack on the central post office in Brovary, where firefighters were able to quickly extinguish a fire. He noted that the possibility of restoring operations in the same building is currently under assessment. Fortunately, most packages were salvaged, and compensation will be provided for the damaged items.
In addition to the Brovary incident, Russian forces targeted a mobile post office in the Dnipropetrovsk region near Nikopol, successfully destroying it. The crew managed to take shelter and has since been evacuated safely. Another post office in Nikopol also suffered damage.
In the Sumy region, a post office in the village of Bereza was completely destroyed, resulting in minor injuries to the branch manager. This is not the first time “Ukrposhta” has been attacked; in February, a postal vehicle was struck in the Mykolaiv region, injuring two civilians.
Russian military forces have been consistently attacking Ukrainian cities and civilian infrastructure using various weapons, including drones, missiles, and artillery systems. These actions have been characterized by Ukrainian authorities and international organizations as war crimes, emphasizing their targeted nature.
Attacks on essential services and healthcare facilities aim to deprive civilians of electricity, heating, water supply, communication, medical assistance, and other vital living conditions. Legal experts and human rights advocates have described these actions as indicative of genocidal intent, citing statements from Russian officials that deny the existence of Ukrainians as an ethnic group.
The 1948 United Nations Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide obligates signatory nations to prevent and punish acts of genocide during both wartime and peacetime. The Convention defines genocide as actions intended to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnic, racial, or religious group.
Signs of genocide include the killing of group members, inflicting serious bodily harm, deliberately creating conditions calculated to destroy a group, preventing births, and forcibly transferring children from one group to another. Public incitement to commit such acts is also included in the definition.
Russian leadership has denied that its military conducts targeted strikes against civilian infrastructure, which has resulted in civilian casualties and the destruction of hospitals, schools, and essential utilities.
Recent attacks on Ukrainian postal services have led to significant damage and injuries, highlighting the ongoing impact of military actions on civilian infrastructure amid the conflict. Authorities classify these strikes as war crimes, raising concerns about genocidal intent.