Ukraine, July 15, 2025: Recently, I arrived in Ukraine to document the devastating impact of the Russia-Ukraine war, now in its third year. The stories I gathered were steeped in sorrow, homes reduced to rubble, families torn apart, lives disrupted by the constant threat of air raids. Yet, amid the chaos, one small moment stood out. It was about a suitcase, a courier service, and a nation that keeps moving forward.
Our group coordinator, preparing for an overnight trip to another city, packed light with just a handbag. “What about your luggage?” I asked, noticing her suitcase. “I’m sending it through a courier,” she replied. “It’ll be at my hotel when I arrive, probably at the same time.” I was stunned. In a war zone, where blackouts and missile strikes are daily realities, a courier could deliver a suitcase across the country overnight? “It’s normal here,” she explained. “Ukrainians often travel light, sending heavy bags through this service. It’s fast and way cheaper than airline fees.”
That encounter sparked my curiosity about Nova Post- a company that, in just over two decades, has transformed from a startup into a vital lifeline for Ukraine, keeping the nation connected even as war rages.
Our reporting schedule had a visit to Nova Post already planned. Nova Post’s Kyiv Innovation Terminal is a massive sorting facility just outside the capital. Stepping inside, I was struck by the hum of automation, conveyor belts whirring, scanners beeping, and workers moving with purpose under bright lights.
Despite the war’s shadow, the terminal felt like a beacon of efficiency, processing 8,500 parcels an hour, as a senior staff member proudly told me. It’s one of several hubs. There are others in Lviv, Kharkiv, and Dnipro, keeping Ukraine connected.
During the initial days the owners had their personal car also doubling as the delivery vehicle. Now the company has a massive fleet of trucks across the country. However, you will still find that first car parked just outside the entrance of the Kyiv center of Nova Post. A reminder of humble beginning with a great vision.
A Logistics Revolution Forged in Crisis
Nova Post’s story began in 2001, when Vyacheslav Klymov and Volodymyr Popereshnyuk set out to transform Ukraine’s sluggish postal system. Started with a small budget of about $7,000, and eight employees, it now employs thousands of people along the entire supply chain of the courier service. Inspired by global giants like FedEx, Klymov and Popereshnyuk visioned to build a service rooted in speed and accessibility. Today, it boasts over 10,000 outlets and 14,000 plus parcel lockers which also delivers in few neighbouring countries besides reaching down to the remotest villages of Ukraine.
Domestically, the company handles documents, small parcels, and large cargo. From humanitarian aid, including essentials like food and medical supplies, heavy machineries, everything is part of its delivery service to numerous destinations.
Resilience Amidst Russia-Ukraine War
Since the start of the Russia-Ukraine war, the service of Nova Post has hit some roadblocks. At least four documented strikes have targeted its facilities directly under Russian attacks. A 2023 Kharkiv missile attack which killed six employees and injured 16, a 2024 ballistic missile attack in Odessa destroying $76,000 in shipments; a 2025 Sloviansk drone strike which damaged a terminal; and in 2025 Izmail attack that again burned a warehouse. These assaults caused at least six deaths, 29 injuries, and substantial material losses. Despite this, Nova Post delivered 480 million parcels in 2024, including 1.5 million free humanitarian aid packages, supporting war-affected communities. The company invested heavily in security of its workers and staff, adding bomb shelters and opening new branches. Its Humanitarian Post delivered 1.5 million free aid parcels of food, medicines, and other essential supplies supporting 2,000 organizations.
Nova Post’s energy independence push includes gas-powered cogeneration units and solar plants, ensuring operational stability amidst wartime disruptions. In 2023, the company began installing gas-powered cogeneration units at key facilities, such as sorting terminals, to generate electricity and heat, reducing reliance on the national grid. These units provide a stable power supply during outages caused by missile strikes or grid disruptions. Additionally, the company has invested in solar power, with plans to equip warehouses with solar panels. There have been times when people have been queuing at its offices in remote areas, during Russian attacks resulting in prolonged power cuts, to charge their phones or use its premise as a makeshift coworking space, which the company offers willingly.
The Russian government has alleged that the courier service has also helped move military supplies around the country to make it a target. However, these allegations of the Russian side are vehemently denied by the senior management of the country.
There have been several examples when the company and its staff went beyond their mandate and worked tirelessly, ignoring personal loss and completing the delivery. In 2023, after a missile strike on its Kharkiv terminal killed six workers, employees swiftly repacked 2,700 surviving parcels, ensuring deliveries despite personal loss.
In 2022, Nova Post reopened a branch in Kherson, delivering aid despite ongoing shelling. After a drone attack in 2023 in Zaporizhzhia which destroyed its branch, staffs salvaged and redirected parcels within hours, showcasing operational grit. Nova Post’s mobile branches, deployed near combat zones, provided critical supplies like medicine, with one unit serving 200 residents in a shelled village. The company with its solar panels and gas-powered units kept sorting 480 million parcels in 2024, even during blackouts, reflecting its unwavering spirit and community support.
Nova Post’s journey from a humble beginning to a vital lifeline in Ukraine truly embodies untiring resilience and vigour amid Ukraine’s long drawn war with Russia. The company has revolutionized Ukraine’s logistics by prioritizing fast, easy, and reliable delivery services. Its automated sorting hubs, like those in Kyiv and Dnipro, process thousands of parcels hourly, while innovations like NovaPay’s cash-on-delivery system and mobile app streamline transactions have made the service fast, transparent and efficient for every one. By addressing customer pain points such as speed and accessibility they set a standard for creating value-driven businesses. New entrepreneurs can learn to focus on solving real problems with innovative solutions.
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