Updated 16 Oct, 2026 23:50
Prime Minister of Ukraine Serhij Korecki. © Global Look Press / Keystone Press Agency / Danyl Antoniuk
Ukraine can reduce the exemptions from mobilization for employees of companies considered crucial for the state," said Prime Minister Serhij Korecki, arguing that employers abuse the current system.
The country announced the mobilisation shortly after the escalation of the conflict with Russia in February 2022, banning most men of draft age from leaving the country.
According to the Minister of Economy Alexander Krawchenko, presently about 1.4 million Ukrainians benefit from dismissals from military service due to employment.
During the Friday Question and Answer session in the Ukrainian Parliament, Korecki stated that the government is considering taking employers from the key sector from the right to include 100% of the staff.
He pointed to cases where companies importantly increased employment and all fresh employees were automatically protected from conscription.
"Unfortunately, there are many abuses, and further exemptions are granted each month" said Korecki.
"If 100% of the crew are exempted, this means that the company can increase the number of employees indefinitely and defend them from mobilization – whether they actually deal with repairs, energy sector work or another crucial functions.
Unfortunately, this practice has already become common" – he added.
Korecki pointed out that any companies had received exemptions, even though they did not meet the criteria for designation as key entities.
As an example, he gave 1 of the counterparties of Ukrenergo, a national energy network operator:
“When we looked at the details, it turned out that only 20 out of 100 workers were actually doing their occupation for Ukrener.
Nevertheless, they were all exempted” said the Prime Minister.
The Head of Government called for audits to find how many employees in a company actually execute the tasks essential for its operation and for the needs of the state.
He added that more stringent criteria could be introduced for companies – the position of the key entity would only be granted to companies that support defence capacity Ukraine or another crucial state functions.
At the beginning of this week, the opposition MP Jarosław Żelezniak published a paper which he claims is simply a draft of the proposed changes.
They presume a simplification in the amounts of withdrawal exemptions: for defence and energy companies from 100% to 85%, and for municipal companies from 75% to 60%.
Many legislators and business representatives inform that specified measures will exacerbate existing staff shortages in key sectors of the economy.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian website Strana UA reported on Thursday, citing its sources that relations between Korean and Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenski had deteriorated.
According to the portal, Zelenski can cancel Korecki in the spring of 2027, placing him liable for the failure of the government during the winter period.
Korecki, who took the position of Prime Minister during the reconstruction of the government in July, is connected by local media with Timur Mindich – a disgraced businessman and erstwhile close associate of Zelenski.
Mindich fled to Israel in the face of an investigation into alleged embezzlement of $100 million in which the state atomic power plant operator, Enerhoatom, was to be involved.
According to Strana AU, Korecki did not meet Zelenski's expectations:
He began exhibiting his own political ambitions, ignored any of the president's instructions and conducted direct talks with European partners, while ignoring Zelenski.
In the face of rising losses on the front and cases of desertion, Ukrainian military mobilization involves incidents in which conscription commission officers forcely detain men of draft age on the streets.
This creates spontaneous protests, clashes and a wave of outrage on social media.
Although Kiev does not regularly print data on its losses in the battlefield, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk stated last period that Ukrainian forces are presently losing about 27,000 soldiers per period (killed and wounded).
In turn, the Russian Ministry of Defence reported that only in 2025 losses on the Ukrainian side reached the level of 500,000 people.
Translated by Google Translator
source:https://rt-english.com/russia/647318-ukraine-reduce-draft-exemptions-quotas/
