Ukraine's state postal service under fire for ads that appear to sexualize minors
Editor's Note: This story has been updated with comments from Anastasiia Bakulina.
Ukrposhta, Ukraine's state-owned postal service, faced public backlash on the eve of Valentine's Day after launching an advertising campaign with a Ukrainian brand that critics said inappropriately sexualized minors.
The controversy erupted after promotional photos appeared on social media showing models styled as schoolgirls in a classroom setting, wearing outfits widely perceived as sexualized versions of high school uniforms.
The images were shared on Ukrposhta's social media accounts before being removed.
The timing intensified the reaction, as the campaign appeared days after renewed global attention to court documents linked to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, and his documented exploitation of women and minors.
Ukrposhta CEO Ihor Smilyanskyi told the Kyiv Independent that he was unaware of the photos before they were published and rejected suggestions that the campaign was coordinated at the executive level.
"I honestly admit that I don't follow the Epstein files issue," Smilyanskyi said, adding that his focus has been on operational challenges, including Russian attacks on Ukrposhta facilities.
"We have hundreds of collaborations with different brands, and I don't really keep track of all the photos that our marketing team puts together with brands."
Smilyanskyi noted that the images were removed immediately after criticism emerged.
"That's why we immediately removed this from profiles, because a certain part of society may have opinions that it violates modern standards," he added.
Ukrposhta indeed deleted the photos and edited the joint post to remove references to the campaign. The company has not announced any disciplinary action.
The backlash escalated after Smilyanskyi engaged directly with critics online.
Anastasiia Bakulina, co-founder of Ukrainian media outlet Svidomi, wrote on Threads that the campaign showed a lack of "boundaries, social norms, values," and suggested that Ukrposhta "would benefit from changes in its CEO and PR team."
In response, Smilyanskyi posted screenshots from Bakulina's personal social media account on his own Threads profile, featuring images she had previously shared herself, and accused her of "cynicism."
"Bakulina writes that it's time to fire me for photos that I honestly haven't seen," Smilyanskyi wrote. "At the same time, she has (nude) photos on her page where it's easy to assume these girls are 14–16 years old. And that's okay?"
Asked by the Kyiv Independent whether he saw a difference between a journalist posting images on her personal account and the CEO of a state-owned company amplifying them publicly, Smilyanskyi said his intent was to expose what he described as performative outrage.
"I'm talking about the fact that there are people who are genuinely concerned about this issue," he said. "And then there are those who are just trying to ride the hype."
Bakulina told the Kyiv Independent she was surprised by the amount of attention her post received — but not by Smilyanskyi's attempt to belittle her for speaking out.
"Such disrespectful treatment of women is nothing new to me," Bakulina said. "I have often encountered cases where people wanted to belittle me simply because I am a manager. Here, they wanted to belittle me because of my review, I guess."
Bakulina also said she found the comments Smilyanskyi made about her personal photos "creepy."
"I did not want this kind of attention, and I do not think my post was provocative enough to get this kind of attention. ... . And now I want to think about what I can do as a person who is now the focus of attention," she told the Kyiv Independent.
"And who wants to do something for girls, teenagers who don't yet know the horror of this world to the fullest. And how to protect them, and how to raise awareness about this issue in general."
Ukrposhta operates as a joint-stock company fully owned by the Ukrainian state and plays a critical role in logistics and communications, particularly during Russia's full-scale invasion.
The incident has renewed debate in Ukraine over corporate responsibility and public ethics.
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