Over the past year, the number of Ukrainian citizens with exemption from mobilization has increased by more than 300,000 people. This was reported by the Minister of Economy of Ukraine, Oleksiy Sobolev, during a speech in the Verkhovna Rada. The data presented by the head of the ministry indicates a significant change in the situation regarding the staffing of enterprises under wartime conditions.

Growth in frontline regions

According to statistics presented by RBC-Ukraine, the main increase in the number of exempted individuals occurred in the frontline regions. This was a result of a government decision made in the autumn of this year: an additional exemption quota of 100 percent was introduced for these regions.

The effect of the measure was immediate and significant. The number of people with documented protection from conscription in the frontline zone doubled, reaching the mark of 100,000 people. It is these regions that accounted for the largest part of the total annual growth.

Tightening of requirements for business

Parallel to the growth in the number of exempted individuals, the state has revised the rules of the game for employers. The government has significantly raised the bar for obtaining the status of a critically important enterprise, which grants the right to exempt employees. Over the year, another 9,000 companies received the CIE (Critically Important Enterprise) status.

The new criteria have become much stricter, especially for key sectors of the economy:

  • Agro-sector: The income threshold and minimum area of land for obtaining the status were doubled.
  • Forestry: Requirements for the volume of activity have increased fivefold.
  • Large business: Mandatory salary criteria have been introduced, which companies must comply with to retain privileges.

Control over finances and ownership

Strict control has also spread to the financial sector. The National Commission for Securities and Stock Market (NCSSM) has updated the criteria for banks and financial organizations. The regulator has closed loopholes that allowed banks to obtain exemptions bypassing the National Bank.

Furthermore, requirements for the ownership structure of companies have been tightened. Now it is more difficult to obtain the status of a critically important enterprise: the state is closely monitoring who the real owner of the business is to exclude abuses of the exemption system.