---
title: "Ukrposhta introduces a “parcels out of turn” rule: from September 23, priority in urban branches is given to sending"
description: "From September 23, Ukrposhta has introduced priority out-of-queue service for parcels in urban branches. Financial operations remain in the general flow, while shipment logistics have been adapted to the reduced working hours caused by air raid alerts."
date: 2026-09-23T07:16:00.000Z
lang: en
url: https://xab.info/en/posts/ukrposhta-parcels-out-of-turn-new-urban-branch-rules
tags: [ukrposhta, postal-services, air-raid-alerts, logistics, ukraine, express-window, package-delivery]
publisher: "XAB.info"
---

# Ukrposhta introduces a “parcels out of turn” rule: from September 23, priority in urban branches is given to sending

![A person holds a box with the Ukrposhta logo at a city post office when sending a parcel under the priority rule](https://xab.info/media/2026/09/23/ukrposhta-posylki-vne-ocheredi-novye-pravila-otdelenij/ukrposhta-posylki-vne-ocheredi-novye-pravila-otdelenij-1.webp)

## 🎯 Key Points

- From September 23, 2026, the acceptance and collection of parcels in Ukrposhta’s urban branches are served outside the general queue (acceptance — 1st priority, collection — 2nd).
- Financial operations (pensions, payments) remain in the general flow and can be completed after the end of the alert on the same day.
- The new procedure is being introduced in more than 90% of urban branches with multiple service windows; the rules during a “yellow” or “red” alert remain unchanged.
- The company fully compensates for the value of parcels lost due to shelling and plans to expand its network of parcel lockers and self-service stations.

From September 23, 2026, Ukrposhta has fundamentally revised the customer service procedure in urban branches across the country. As the company’s CEO, Ihor Smylianskyi, announced in his Telegram channel, the acceptance and collection of parcels have now been given absolute priority: accepting a shipment is the first priority, and collection is the second. This means that customers arriving with a parcel are served outside the general queue, while financial operations — pension payments, bill payments — remain in the general flow. According to Smylianskyi, such operations can be calmly completed after the end of the air raid alert on the same day, since Ukrposhta’s servers are protected and do not depend on the customer’s physical presence at the branch at a specific moment.

### Why now: the logic of the “iron rule”

The main reason for the new measure is the chronic air raid alerts, which shorten the actual operating hours of the branches. Smylianskyi gave a clear example: for a parcel sent from Kyiv to arrive in Odesa the next day, it must be handed over to the branch no later than 22:00. By that time, the postman must have collected the shipment, transported it to the sorting center, sorted it, and loaded it onto transport. If a customer is standing in the queue at 15:55 and an air raid alert is declared at 16:00, lasting until 18:00, a parcel accepted only after operations resume will depart the following day. If it was accepted before the alert was announced, it will continue moving on schedule. It is precisely this “loss” of one logistics cycle that the company is trying to minimize by moving parcels into a separate queue.

### What changes for customers in practice

From today, more than 90% of urban branches with more than one service window are switching to the new procedure. In the so-called “Express window,” priority will be given specifically to parcel operations. At the same time, the rules for branch operations during a “yellow” or “red” air raid alert remain unchanged: in the event of a threat, staff and customers are still advised to move to a shelter, and postal, financial, and social services are provided as usual. The company has also announced the launch of self-service stations and an increase in the number of parcel lockers, which over time should relieve some of the pressure on the queues.

### Compensation and risks for shipments

Separately, Smylianskyi emphasized that Ukrposhta fully reimburses customers for the value of parcels in the event of their loss due to shelling. However, as the CEO noted, money does not always replace the contents of a shipment, especially when it comes to personal belongings, documents, or gifts. That is why, according to the management’s logic, it is critically important to shorten the time during which shipments physically remain in the branches — especially during periods of shelling, when the building may be damaged.

### Context: operating schedules remain untouched for now

Earlier, RBC-Ukraine reported that Ukrposhta is not changing the operating schedules of its branches in connection with the new rules for dividing air raid alerts. In other words, the official hours of operation remain the same, but within those hours the priorities have been redistributed. The new procedure is, in essence, an operational adaptation to conditions in which the branch’s operating time is unpredictably shortened by alerts, while the logistics chain “branch — sorting — transport” cannot tolerate even a delay of a few hours.

## 🔍 Fact-Check Verification

- [Ukrposhta updates branch operating rules due to air raid alerts: an instruction for customers](https://www.rbc.ua/ukr/news/ukrposhta-onovila-pravila-roboti-viddilen-1790147578.html) - Первичный источник. Подтверждает дату 23.09, приоритет посылок, цитату Смилянского, пример Киев–Одесса, 90% отделений, компенсацию.
- [Parcels out of turn: Ukrposhta changes the operating rules of urban branches](https://delo.ua/ru/news/posylki-vne-oceredi-ukrpocta-izmenila-pravila-raboty-gorodskix-otdelenii-473025/) - Подтверждает приоритет посылок, «Экспресс-окно», планы по почтоматам и станциям самообслуживания.
- [Who will now have priority at the branches](https://www.obozrevatel.com/ekonomika-glavnaya/economy/ukrpochta-izmenila-poryadok-rabotyi-otdelenij-vvedeno-zheleznoe-pravilo.htm) - Подтверждает введение «железного правила», приоритет операций с посылками, сохранение общего принципа для финансовых услуг.
- [Parcels out of turn: Ukrposhta changes the operating procedure of urban branches](https://news.finance.ua/ru/posylki-vne-ocheredi-ukrpochta-izmenila-poryadok-raboty-gorodskih-otdeleniy) - Подтверждает ключевые тезисы: приоритет посылок, 90% отделений, отсутствие изменений в правилах при тревогах.

## ❓ FAQ

### Q: What will change for me at a Ukrposhta branch from September 23?
**A:** If you come to send a parcel or to collect one, you will be served outside the general queue. Accepting parcels is the first priority, and collection is the second. Financial operations (pensions, payments) continue to be handled in the general order.

### Q: Are the branch operating hours changing?
**A:** No. The branch operating schedules remain the same. Only the service order within the working day has changed: parcels are handled in the priority “Express window.”

### Q: What happens to a parcel if an air raid alert is declared while it is being accepted?
**A:** If the parcel was accepted before the alert was declared, it will continue moving on schedule. If it was accepted after operations resumed, it will most likely depart the following day, since the sorting cycle will no longer have time to be completed.

### Q: Does Ukrposhta compensate for the loss of a parcel due to shelling?
**A:** Yes, the company fully reimburses the value of a parcel in the event of its loss as a result of shelling. However, as the CEO notes, money does not always replace the contents of a shipment, especially personal belongings.

### Q: Does the new procedure apply to all branches?
**A:** From September 23, the new procedure is being introduced in more than 90% of urban branches that have more than one service window. The operating rules during a “yellow” or “red” alert remain unchanged for now.