Ukraine's government has finalised changes that will end automatic exemptions from military call-up for every employee of companies in critical sectors such as defence manufacturing and energy, the Kyiv Independent reports.
Prime Minister Serhii Koretskyi said on 23 October that the number of exempted workers was rising by tens of thousands each month and that soldiers who had served for years needed a chance to come home. He said some firms had been set up purely to obtain exemptions.
Under the new rules, defence companies can exempt up to 95% of eligible staff, the Defence Ministry said, and firms may apply for higher quotas. The government is also working on a scheme allowing companies to exempt all staff if some workers regularly volunteer for fixed terms of service, with approval targeted for 1 December. Lawmakers and businesses had criticised earlier proposals to cut quotas.
Source: Kyiv Independent
