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Large number of Ukrainians to lose mobilization exemption after February 28 — deputy

In recent months, the number of Ukrainian employees with exemptions from military service has increased from 900,000 to 1.6 million

MOSCOW, November 25. /TASS/. Many of the 1.6 million employees working at Ukrainian enterprises will most likely lose their exemption from military service starting February 28, Bogdan Kitsak, a Verkhovna Rada (Ukrainian parliament) deputy from the ruling Servant of the People party, said during an appearance on the Ukrainian TV channel Kiev-24.

"The enterprise must be vital, and the employee's salary must be commensurate. The worker must also be employed until May 18, 2024 [the date the law on mobilization came into effect]. If an employee was hired after this date, they will lose their reservation on February 28," he said.

In recent months, the number of employees with exemptions from military service has increased from 900,000 to 1.6 million. "A significant portion of them will lose their reservation," Kitsak added.

In early October, the Ukrainian publication Economic Pravda reported the suspension of mobilization exemptions. The media reported that President Vladimir Zelensky was unhappy with the number of one and a half million people exempted. As a result, an audit of enterprises with critical status was conducted by November 15. Following its results, the mobilization rules were tightened. From now on, one can obtain exemption only through an application with electronic documents via Diia ("Action" in Ukrainian). To determine eligibility for reservation, enterprises will first have to coordinate with the Ukrainian Ministries of Defense and Economy regarding regional and sectoral criteria. Workers in the private sector will now receive exemption only if there are no debts to the budget. The gross pay of the worker must be at least 2.5 times the minimum wage (approximately $485 per month).

General mobilization was declared in Ukraine in February 2022 and has been extended several times since. On May 18, a law on tougher mobilization rules came into effect in Ukraine. However, in recent months, the pace of replenishment for the Ukrainian armed forces has slowed again, leading to a critical shortage of manpower.

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