Russian Post tracking
How to track my Russian Post package?
Ordertracker provides a simple solution to track your Russian Post packages. To begin, you'll need a Russian Post tracking number provided by the sender or the retailer.
Enter your tracking number in the above field and hit "enter." Our tracker will then fetch the latest tracking details for your package.
You'll see a timeline showing your package's journey, including its current location, transit history, and expected delivery date. This keeps you informed about your Russian Post package in real time.
Where can I find my Russian Post tracking number?
Finding your Russian Post tracking number is usually simple. When you buy an item online or send a package, the tracking number is typically given by the online store or sender. If you're the recipient, the sender often provides it via email, text, or on the order confirmation page.
For online purchases, log in to your store account to find the tracking number in your order history or tracking section. You can also find it in shipping notifications sent to your email or phone.
Once you have the tracking number, you can easily use Ordertracker to monitor your package's progress. This tool shows your package's journey and estimated delivery date.
Why isn't my Russian Post package moving in the package tracking history?
Dealing with a Russian Post package that appears stuck in tracking can be frustrating. Yet, there are steps to tackle this. If you've been using Ordertracker and see no progress, start by being patient. Delays, like customs or logistical issues, can arise.
If the delay remains, contact Russian Post or the sender for specifics. They can offer insight or investigate. Keep your tracking number ready for a smoother process. Sometimes, misrouting or address errors cause delays. Confirm the details provided to you by the sender. Remember, Russian Post customer service or the sender can help resolve shipping delays.
When I track my Russian Post package, why does it show as "returned"?
If you're tracking your Russian Post package and it's marked as "returned", this usually means that the package has been sent back to the sender or the shipment origin location for a specific reason. There are a few common explanations for why a Russian Post package might be labeled as "returned":
An unclear or inaccurate address from sender or recipient might lead Russian Post to be unable to deliver, resulting in a return.
If multiple delivery attempts fail, Russian Post may return the package instead of holding it indefinitely.
If the recipient doesn't collect the package within a timeframe from a post office or delivery center, Russian Post might return it.
International packages can be return due to customs problems like missing or incorrect documents.
If your Russian Post package is "returned" in tracking, contact the sender or Russian Post customer service. This clarifies the return reason and lets you explore solutions like resending or refunding. Please note that return procedures can vary based on Russian Post policies and circumstances.
Why does the Russian Post parcel tracking timeline indicate that my order cannot be found?
When your Russian Post parcel tracking lacks information, it may indicate a "cannot be found" message. This happens for a few reasons:
Ensure your tracking number is accurate. Even a small mistake can prevent the system from recognizing your package.
Sometimes, tracking details might be slower to update in Russian Post system. Wait and check again later for potential updates.
If the package was recently sent, it might not be processed by Russian Post yet. Tracking should appear shortly.
About Russian Post
Russian Post, also known as Pochta Rossii, is the national postal operator of the Russian Federation. It provides a wide range of postal and logistics services, including domestic and international mail delivery, express delivery, and financial services. With its extensive network of post offices and distribution centers across Russia, Russian Post plays a crucial role in connecting individuals and businesses across the country. The company is committed to delivering mail and packages efficiently and securely, contributing to the development of Russia's communication and logistics infrastructure.
How to contact Russian Post?
If you are experiencing issues with the delivery process managed by Russian Post, please do not hesitate to contact their customer support.
Russian postal service since the 10th century unified in 2002
Russian Post (officially Pochta Rossii) is the national postal service of the Russian Federation. With a long postal history starting from the 10th century with the first messenger systems, the Russian postal network expanded in the 16th century to include about 1,600 relay stations, notably establishing its first international connection with Poland. The modern organization of Russian Post was established in 2002, when the various federal postal entities were consolidated into a unified public company. As a state operator, Russian Post is under federal authorities while operating autonomously to modernize and adapt its services.
With its headquarters in Moscow, Russian Post currently employs nearly 390,000 people and manages more than 42,000 post offices across the entire Russian territory, making it one of the largest postal networks in the world. As the national operator, it is responsible for the collection, transportation, and distribution of mail and parcels within Russia, as well as the issuance of official postage stamps. Russian Post annually handles billions of postal items (mail, parcels, and money orders), playing a vital logistical role in a country of continental dimensions.
Postal services offered
Russian Post offers a full range of traditional postal services, both domestically and internationally. For the Russian domestic market, it ensures the delivery of letters, postcards, and small shipments, as well as the distribution of the press. The national parcel service allows sending packages throughout the territory, with standard or expedited options depending on distance and urgency. The operator also offers a registered mail service (registered letters or parcels) guaranteeing tracking and delivery against signature, widely used for sending important documents or valuable goods within the country.
Internationally, Russian Post handles the shipment of mail and parcels worldwide. As a member of the Universal Postal Union (UPU), it sends and receives international mail to or from over 190 countries. International shipments can be made in standard postal mode (by land, sea, or air depending on the destination) or via priority services. Notably, Russian Post is the operator of the EMS (Express Mail Service) for Russia: this international express service guarantees faster and priority delivery of parcels and documents abroad, with detailed tracking and delivery against signature. Russian Post's EMS allows international deliveries in reduced timeframes compared to ordinary postal mail.
Russian Post also offers specialized services such as postage and international parcel shipping on behalf of online merchants and logistics companies. With the rise of e-commerce (Amazon, AliExpress, Joom, etc.), the company has developed adapted shipping solutions, including the ePacket (international priority small package) in partnership with Asian platforms. Furthermore, the operator continues to provide traditional financial services through its network (postal money orders, bill payments, fund transfers), although these activities are complementary to its primary mission of mail and parcel transportation.
Logistics network and sorting centers
Given the vast expanse of Russia (over 17 million km² and 11 time zones), Russian Post relies on a sophisticated logistics network. It operates numerous regional sorting centers across the country, responsible for sorting and dispatching shipments to their final destinations. These modernized sorting centers optimize routing by grouping parcels by region and reducing delivery times. Postal items typically transit from an origin office to a main sorting center, then to local distribution centers before reaching the recipient's post office.
Beyond the stationary infrastructure, Russian Post has also implemented innovative solutions to effectively serve isolated or rural areas. The "mobile post" is a service where mobile post offices (often in the form of equipped postal vehicles) travel to remote locations without a permanent agency, offering basic services (mail and parcel deposit and withdrawal, postal services) to residents. Additionally, the company has installed next-generation postal automats (often called automatic lockers or postomats) especially in major cities. These self-service machines allow users to drop off or pick up parcels 24/7 autonomously and securely, without employee assistance. Once deposited in these lockers, parcels are collected by Russian Post agents to enter the delivery circuit.
To absorb the growth in parcel volumes, Russian Post has also deployed postal kiosks since 2011. Distributed across the territory, these modular service points facilitate delivery flow by serving as additional drop-off and pick-up locations. Initially dedicated to parcel operations, these kiosks now offer other customer services (insurance, banking offers, transport ticket sales, telephony products, etc.), thus diversifying the postal network's offer. All these initiatives (automated sorting centers, mobile services, and automated relay points) contribute to improving Russian Post's internal functioning, optimizing its logistics network to reduce delays and ensure postal coverage of all regions, including the most remote.
International presence and cross-border collaborations
On the international stage, Russian Post plays an active role through its participation in global postal agreements. As a member of the UPU (which includes 192 countries), the operator is committed to adhering to international standards facilitating mail exchange across borders. This means that a parcel sent from Russia will be handed over, upon arrival in the destination country, to the local postal service for final distribution, and vice versa for shipments to Russia. This network of multilateral collaboration ensures that a shipment entrusted to Russian Post can be routed to almost any point on the globe, with traceability and reciprocity commitments between postal operators.
Russian Post closely cooperates with many foreign postal services and international carriers to improve delivery times and reliability. For example, the company has established logistical partnerships with the Chinese post and other players to accelerate the flow of parcels from Asian e-commerce to Russia. This has led to the creation of dedicated shipping solutions such as Simplified Registered Mail for AliExpress platforms (tracking numbers starting with ZA…LV or ZA…HK) or Joom (ZJ…HK). These special services, jointly implemented by Russian Post and its foreign partners, offer more advantageous rates and minimal tracking (three main statuses) for sending low-value goods to Russia.
In terms of cross-border infrastructure, Russian Post manages several international exchange centers (known as MMPO in Russia) where foreign mail export and import operations are carried out. Historically, Moscow concentrated most of the postal customs processing, causing bottlenecks. To address this and speed up international deliveries, new customs exchange points have been opened in regions, notably in Yekaterinburg and Novosibirsk. These international sorting centers relieve the capital and significantly reduce the processing time of parcels entering and leaving the country. Thanks to these efforts and its integration into global postal networks (including EMS for express), Russian Post is now a recognized player in international parcel delivery, ensuring the connection between Russia and many other destination markets.
Tracking number format
Like most postal operators, Russian Post assigns a unique tracking number to each registered shipment, allowing it to be tracked. The tracking number format differs depending on whether it is a domestic or international shipment. For shipments within Russia (parcels or tracked letters circulating only on national territory), the tracking number consists of 14 digits. For example, a parcel sent from Moscow to another Russian city might have an identifier such as 12345678901234. The first six digits of this code generally correspond to the index (postal code) of the sending post office, followed by a sequential number specific to the shipment and a final check digit.
For international shipments handled by Russian Post, the format follows the UPU's S10 standard. It is a 13-character code, combining letters and numbers. This universal format begins with two letters, followed by 9 digits, and ends with two letters indicating the country of origin of the shipment. Thus, a parcel sent from Russia will have a code ending in RU. For example: AB123456789RU. The first two letters of the code provide information about the type of shipment or service used. In the case of Russia, the following are frequently found:
- R#…RU (small registered shipments (small registered packages, tracked correspondence) often start with the letter "R".
- C#…RU) larger parcels (standard postal parcels) begin with the letter "C".
- E#…RU (shipments sent via the EMS (Express) service start with "E".
(In the examples above, # represents an additional letter, and the … series of numbers). Thus, a small registered package may have a number like RK123456789RU, a standard parcel CB123456789RU, and an EMS EA123456789RU. Other letters may appear depending on the precise nature of the shipment: for example "L" or "V" (but codes starting with R, C, or E are the most common for tracked shipments from Russia. On import, Russian Post can also track parcels from abroad whose tracking number ends with the country code of dispatch (e.g. XX123456789CN for a parcel sent from China, or YY123456789SG from Singapore). It should be noted that only registered shipments (registered, parcels, EMS, etc.) have a tracking number usable in the Russian Post system. Ordinary unregistered shipments (without tracking) are not subject to any trace in the Russian post's online tracking.
Russian Post tracking statuses
When a parcel or mail is handled by Russian Post, its journey is punctuated by different tracking statuses recorded in the system. Each status corresponds to a specific stage (processing, transport, customs, delivery…) and allows the sender and recipient to know the status of the shipment. Below is the list of the main Russian Post tracking statuses, translated into English, accompanied by a brief description to understand their meaning:
| Status | Description |
|---|---|
| Tracking number assigned | A shipment number has been generated for the parcel, and the shipping information has been recorded in the system. The shipment will soon be physically handled by the post |
| Accepted by the post | The parcel has been accepted by a post office or postal agent. It is now officially handled and will enter the routing network |
| Departure from origin office | The shipment has left the point of origin (drop-off office) and has been sent to the sorting center or the next logistical step |
| Arrived at sorting center | The parcel has arrived at a postal sorting center where it will be processed, sorted, and routed to its next destination (e.g., a regional or transit center) |
| In sorting process | The shipment is being processed in a sorting center. The logistics teams or automatic systems are sorting the parcel with other shipments destined for the same area |
| Left sorting center | The parcel has completed its sorting in the center and has been sent further. It is en route to the next stage of the journey (another center or the final distribution office) |
| Arrived in transit country | The shipment has arrived in an intermediate country serving as transit. It will be possibly checked and redirected to its final destination |
| Left transit country | The parcel has resumed its journey after its transit. It has left the transit country and continues its routing to the destination country |
| Sent to destination country | The shipment has left Russia and has been sent abroad. It is currently en route to the destination country (international transport in progress) |
| Arrived in destination country | The parcel has arrived on the territory of the recipient country. It will be handled by the postal service of the destination country for the final delivery stages |
| Arrived in Russia | For a parcel sent from abroad, this status indicates that the shipment has entered Russian territory (destination country). It will be handed over to the Russian Post network for arrival processing |
| Arrived at international exchange center | The shipment has arrived at an international postal exchange center (import/export sorting center). This center processes international parcels for customs formalities and redistribution to internal sorting centers |
| Presented to customs | The parcel has been handed over to customs authorities for inspection. It undergoes mandatory customs checks (content verification, compliance, etc.) before being authorized to continue its journey |
| Released by customs | Customs have cleared the shipment and have not held it. The parcel is now released and can continue its routing in the postal network |
| Held by customs | The shipment is temporarily held by customs services. Additional checks are in progress (e.g., tax assessment or content inspection) and delivery is suspended until resolution |
| Refused by customs | Customs authorities have refused the entry or exit of the parcel. This can occur in case of prohibited content or non-compliant documents. The shipment will not be delivered to the recipient and will generally be returned to the sender or destroyed according to regulations |
| Customs duties to be paid | Taxes or customs fees are applicable to this shipment. The parcel is awaiting payment of these duties by the recipient (usually via the customs notice) before it can be delivered |
| Awaiting fee payment | The shipment requires the settlement of certain fees (e.g., storage fees, customs presentation fee, or others). It cannot continue its route or be delivered until these fees are paid |
| Handed over to transport company | The parcel has been entrusted to a third-party carrier (e.g., an airline for an international flight). It is in external transit, being transported by this means to the next stage |
| Flight departure to destination | The plane carrying the parcel has taken off and the parcel is en route by air to the destination country or a transit platform |
| Transport by land | The shipment has been loaded for land transport (train, truck, or other). It travels by land to its next stage (sorting center, neighboring country, etc.) |
| Arrived at local distribution office | The parcel has reached the post office or distribution center near the destination address. It is now ready to be handled for final local delivery |
| Out for delivery | The shipment is currently in the final delivery process to the recipient. A delivery agent (postman or courier) has taken charge of it to make the delivery to the recipient's address |
| Unsuccessful delivery attempt | A delivery attempt was made, but the parcel could not be delivered. The recipient was absent or unreachable during the delivery person's visit. A notice may have been left for a new delivery or later pickup |
| Awaiting recipient pickup | The shipment is available at the delivery point (usually the local post office) and is waiting for the recipient to pick it up. The recipient can present themselves with their tracking number and an ID to collect the parcel |
| Delivered to mailbox | The letter or small parcel has been directly deposited in the recipient's mailbox. This status means that the shipment has been delivered without the need for a signature (usually for mail or small parcels) |
| Delivered to recipient | The parcel has been handed over in person to the recipient (or an authorized person) and the delivery is thus successfully completed. This status closes the tracking by confirming the successful receipt of the shipment |
| Return to sender | The shipment could not be delivered to the recipient and will be returned to the sender. The parcel is in the process of being returned or has already been sent back to its origin point |
| Refused by recipient | The recipient refused to take possession of the parcel upon presentation. The shipment will therefore not be delivered and will be returned to the sender according to the return procedures in force |
| Undeliverable | The parcel is considered undeliverable under current conditions. This may result from an incorrect address, inability to contact, or other logistical issues preventing delivery to the recipient |
| Unclaimed | The shipment remained pending at the post office beyond the authorized holding period without being collected by the recipient. It is therefore marked as unclaimed and will generally be returned to the sender or placed in storage awaiting instructions |
| Incorrect or incomplete address | The delivery address indicated for the parcel contains an error or lacks information (number, street, postal code, etc.). This address issue prevents delivery. The parcel may be returned to the sender or await an address correction |
| Recipient not found | The recipient could not be located at the indicated address (e.g., they moved without leaving an address, or the name is not known at this address). The parcel could not be delivered and will be handled accordingly (new attempt, return to sender, etc.) |
| Force majeure / Exceptional delay | Exceptional circumstances beyond the carrier's control delay the shipment's routing. This may involve extreme weather conditions, natural disasters, disturbances, or other force majeure events impacting postal transport |
| Holiday) Delivery deferred | The status indicates that no delivery could be made that day due to a holiday or non-working day. The parcel will be held pending and the delivery attempt will resume on the next business day |
| Processing error | An internal error (e.g., sorting or labeling error) occurred during the shipment's processing. The parcel may have been directed to the wrong location and a correction will be made, which may result in an additional delay |
| Missing or non-compliant documents | This status indicates that required documents for the shipment (customs declarations, invoices, forms) are incomplete, illegible, or incorrect. The shipment is suspended while these documents are provided or corrected to meet regulatory requirements |
| Canceled by sender | The shipment was canceled at the sender's request before full handling. The parcel will not be shipped and, if it had already been handed over to the post, it will be returned to the sender or held without routing |
| Parcel damaged or incomplete | During transit, the parcel suffered damage or content loss. The packaging was deteriorated, or part/all of the content is missing. A report of spoliation or damage is usually established and final delivery may be compromised |
| Lost | The shipment is officially declared lost by the carrier. No information on its location could be obtained for some time and it is considered definitively lost. Compensation procedures may be initiated if applicable |