Ukrainian Rebel Zone Mail

Does anyone know what postage service is operating in the rebel zones? Do they use Russian mail and stamps?

Ok very interesting question! I had to look it up myself: According to Wikipedia, a new postal organization called the Crimean Post was organized, it's not a member of the UPU and its job is to slowly integrate Crimean mail with the regular Russian Post. It was founded in 2014 and since then the Ukrainian Post has not handled mail to Crimea. In the end the crimean post will be dissolved and folded into the Russian Post.

Any Crimean readers want to exchange some mail?

Thanks for the swift info.
Is this the case in the northern rebel zones, like Donetsk region?

(edited)

Got my answer from Wiki: "Preparations for issue of own stamps were underway since March 2015, and by May 9 the first such stamp was issued in DPR and LPR".
So they have their own stamps, can they use them for international mailing, or only for domestic use?

Well I guess in a way could we compare the situation to like when Katanga was issuing its own stamps? The international community knew they were kind of fake in a way but still went along, right?

How? There is nothing but a war zone that is recognised internationally. At best they might be accepted by Russia and, maybe, Belarus. But I would not be surprised if even Russia does not recognise them.

What I was aiming at, is whether one of us can add those stamps to our collection.

In Donetsk and Luhansk, they issue their own stamps in abundance, including souvenir sheets and FDCs with first day cancellations. There's even a nulti-volume catalogue of those stamps prepared by a Russian philatelist from Kaliningrad (former Koenigsberg).

The stamps are widely used for inland mail, inside those "republics". Their "international" use is resricted to mail between the two "republics". All really international mail connections (they do have them) are arranged through special Post Boxes located in the neighbouring towns on the teritory of Russia. To send an international letter (postcard, package, etc.), you have to write the address of that PB and your details, including your mobile phone number. You pay for the mail, but no astamps are affixed, and no cancellation is made - all this is done in Russia, and Russian stamps are applied.
So the mail looks like entirely Russian, except for the sender's address (where such names and Luhansk Peoples Republic (LPR) or Donetsk Peoples Republic (DPR) are not allowed).
The postage tariffs for international mail are Russian, as well.

In other words, they use the same scheme for international mail as in South Ossetia.

...once, I ask someone who travel to Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic, and bring me some samples of material, on cover, canceled in PO .... I was sure, he will do it as he was friend of mine.
When he come back, without nothing, I was surprised, but he simply say, that control checking on border in Moldavia, they take all samples he have with postage stamp attached, from this "new" Republic!
Donetsk, Lughansk and another one, I know that they have own postage stamps issued, but as it was/is war zone, no post office are active as I hear.
Recently, as this territory re-united with Russia, PO start to work, but with Russian stamp in use!
(shown: Lughansk People Republic)

"...So they have their own stamps, can they use them for international mailing, or only for domestic use?..."

....now, as they are part of Russian Federation, they don't need own postage stamps, and as I know, mail go without disturbance, even in the part where active fighting go.....

The annexation of part of Ukraine by Russia is illegal and has not been recognised. Nor is Russia in control of what they claim to have annexed.

Stamps issued by the Donetsk insurgents have no international validity. At best they can be used on local mail and mail to Russia. Essentially, they are bogus stamps.

The same goes for the 'Transnistrian' stickers.

NSK is right to say that the stamps of Donetsk and Luhansk could be only used for local mail (not to Russia even).

Mail to / from Russia had to be sent via special sorting centres in Russia (Post Boxes) wherefrom it was further delivered from / to the rebel territories.

When sent from there, mail was paid for at their "international" post rates, no stamps were affixed (and no name of the "republics" could be mentioned on the cover, either). Stamps were only affixed at those Post Boxes.

Unlike NSK, I would not call them bogus stamps (I believe you meant they were not recognized by the UPU - what would you say then about stamps from Northern Cyprus and the Republic of China (Taiwan)?).

Those stamps were widely used within the "republic's on commercial mail, even wider than anywhere else due to so specific features of their documentary circulation legislation.

Since their "unification" with Russia, Russian stamps are used, with some share of mixed franking on internal mail - here is a cover from a Russian philatelic phorum:



Yet, they are still not included officially into the system of the Post of Russia (just like the Crimea Post that is formally a separate business organization)/

A different thing are stamps from Transnistria - they really hardly see any postal use even inside that part of Moldova.