The Ukrainian government changed the rules regarding the conscription of workers from the military industry, allowing companies producing military equipment to staff without restriction, the Economy Ministry wrote on Jan. 16.
Discussions on mobilization have been ongoing since Dec. 19, when President Volodymyr Zelensky said that Ukraine's military leadership had proposed to mobilize up to 500,000 additional conscripts.
Commander-in-Chief Valerii Zaluzhnyi then denied that figure but said that the military did have a plan for mobilization numbers for 2024.
The change in the conscription rules for military industry workers is "aimed at strengthening the potential of the defense industry and enabling defense companies to operate steadily and increase production," said Deputy Economy Minister Ihor Fomenko.
According to the changes, employees of companies designated as being "critical to the defense industry" will be exempt from conscription.
The exemption will apply regardless of rank, age, and military specialization and without limitations on the number of workers in question.
"Our top priority is to provide our defenders with everything they need to win," said Fomenko.
Martin Fornusek
