The Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine has completed the preparation of changes to the reservation system for conscripted workers. The maximum quota will no longer automatically be 100%, including for defense industry and energy enterprises. However, for companies that need to keep more specialists, a separate approval mechanism will be provided.
Prime Minister of Ukraine Serhiy Koretskyi announced this on October 23 on his official Telegram channel.
According to the head of government, the changes are aimed at combating abuses and revising the principles by which enterprises receive the status of critically important. At the same time, the Cabinet promises to maintain the necessary conditions for the operation of the defense industry and critical infrastructure.
One of the main changes will be the abolition of unconditional reservation of 100% of conscripted employees. Koretskyi explained that the current rules allowed some companies to artificially increase their staff and process deferrals for people who actually did not perform critically important tasks.
"Unconditional full reservation is unfair to those who serve and opens space for abuse," the Prime Minister said.
At the same time, enterprises that produce weapons or ensure the operation of critical infrastructure will be able to apply for an increase in the quota to a specially created Coordination Center. This will require justification for the need to retain additional workers.
Koretskyi did not name the specific maximum reservation percentage in his message. Earlier it was reported that the updated draft government resolution provides for a 95% quota for energy and defense enterprises instead of the originally proposed 85%. However, the final parameters still need to be confirmed by the published text of the regulation.
Another important change will be the revision of the criticality criteria for enterprises. The government intends to separate this status from purely economic indicators of the company.
According to Koretskyi, priority should be given to enterprises that really ensure defense capability and the functioning of the economy. Among such industries, he named the defense industry, energy, communications, logistics, and housing and communal services.
For these sectors, the Prime Minister promised to maintain the conditions necessary for uninterrupted operation. At the same time, sectoral and regional criticality criteria will be revised, and enterprises will be checked for possible abuses.
Separately, the Cabinet is developing a new mechanism of full reservation in exchange for the fulfillment of a mobilization obligation.
According to the proposal, an enterprise will be able to book all conscripted workers on condition that it regularly and voluntarily sends a certain part of its employees for military service.
Koretskyi emphasized that a person should know in advance which unit he is assigned to and for what period. At the same time, the workplace and salary are to be retained.
The detailed conditions of the new mechanism should be jointly developed by the Ministry of Defense, the Ministry of Economy and business representatives. The government plans to approve it by December 1, 2026.
In addition, the Ministry of Defense intends to strengthen responsibility for evading military service. The Prime Minister has not yet revealed specific changes in this part.
The head of government explained the need for reform by the rapid increase in the number of reserved citizens. According to him, their number increases by tens of thousands every month, while servicemen who have been defending Ukraine for the fifth year need the opportunity to return home.
Earlier Kurs.com.ua reported that the Cabinet is preparing a revision of reservation rules due to numerous abuses. Preliminary proposals to reduce quotas caused objections from business representatives and the defense industry.
Koretskyi separately stressed that the announced decisions do not mean an immediate increase in mobilization. The main task of the government at this stage is to eliminate abuses and establish clear rules for enterprises and conscripts.
At the same time, the date of entry into force of the new quotas, the conditions of the transition period and the procedure for applying the changes to already issued reservations are not yet specified. These issues should be finally determined in the regulatory documents.
