On October 23, the Cabinet of Ministers adopted a resolution on new rules for reserving conscripts, but the document is still undergoing technical finalization before publication. At the same time, the government is preparing a separate model under which enterprises will be able to obtain the right to fully reserve employees in exchange for fulfilling mobilization obligations.
The preparation of the resolution for publication was announced to "Ekonomichna Pravda" by Deputy Minister of Economy Vitalii Kindrativ on the sidelines of the Kyiv International Economic Forum on October 26.
According to him, the government has already voted for the document, and now exclusively technical and editorial amendments are being made to it, necessary to bring it in line with rule-making standards.
Kindrativ assumed that the resolution may be signed and published as early as October 26. At the same time, he did not confirm the final date of publication.
The new rules will come into force after the official publication of the resolution. From that moment, central executive authorities and regional military administrations will have 10 days to review sectoral and regional criteria for the criticality of enterprises.
The deputy minister emphasized that the main goal of the changes is not a mechanical reduction in the number of reserved employees to increase the mobilization resource, but ensuring reservation at enterprises without which the normal functioning of the country is impossible.
According to the clarification of the Ministry of Economy, the adopted changes provide for the creation of a Coordination Center for the organization of reservation, clarification of criticality criteria, and revision of maximum quotas.
In particular, for enterprises of the defense-industrial and fuel-energy complexes, the maximum reservation level will be 95% of conscripted employees instead of the previous possibility to automatically reserve all. If a larger quota is necessary for uninterrupted operation, the enterprise will be able to initiate its review through the relevant state body.
At the same time, employees directly involved in the production of weapons, execution of defense orders, and maintenance of critical infrastructure should retain the possibility of reservation. The review of criteria also does not mean automatic deprivation of all enterprises of the previously obtained critical importance status.
Prime Minister Serhii Koretskyi, speaking at the Kyiv International Economic Forum, explained that the government intends to separate the real criticality of enterprises from purely economic indicators, such as the level of employee wages or the absence of tax debts.
According to the prime minister, the new approach should eliminate opportunities for abuse of reservation, but at the same time prevent disruption of the operation of enterprises on which the economy and defense capability of the state depend.
Separately, the government is developing a new model of interaction with business in the field of mobilization, which Koretskyi called a "social contract". It provides for the possibility of reserving 100% of enterprise employees on condition that the employer will undertake obligations regarding the regular and predictable involvement of part of the personnel in military service.
According to the head of government, such a mechanism will allow the military command to plan the replenishment of units and rotation of servicemen, and enterprises to better forecast personnel needs.
Koretskyi admitted that the proposed model currently remains a concept that needs to be worked out in detail. The prime minister announced consultations with business representatives and stated his intention to form new agreements by December 1, 2026.
The terms of the future mechanism are to be jointly developed by the Ministry of Defense, the Ministry of Economy, and employers. It is not yet determined how many employees of an enterprise will have to be involved in service and under what rules mobilization obligations will be fulfilled.
Kindrativ also confirmed that the possibility of full reservation in exchange for mobilization obligations is currently being discussed only at the conceptual level and requires consultations with business.
Therefore, the future "social contract" is not part of the already approved rules being prepared for publication. We are talking about a separate mechanism, the parameters of which the government has yet to agree on.
Recall that on October 23, the Cabinet of Ministers announced the completion of the preparation of changes to the reservation system. The government explained the need for the reform by the increase in the number of reserved conscripts and the need to ensure a balance between the work of critical enterprises and the possibilities of military rotation.
Based on materials: Ekonomichna Pravda, Glavkom, Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine
