Due to forced mobilization, Ukraine’s housing and utilities sector is experiencing a staffing shortage

Ukraine’s housing and utilities sector faces a serious staffing shortage.

This was stated by Oleg Harnyk, an expert from the Association of Ukrainian Cities.

According to Harnyk, the situation in the housing and utilities sector (ZhKH) has significantly worsened after the number of employees eligible for deferment from military mobilization was reduced to 50%.

“Many utility companies have found themselves in a critical situation. Due to mobilization, we are losing highly qualified specialists who are nearly impossible to replace quickly,” Harnyk emphasized.

He added that training specialists of the required level takes a long time and requires targeted education, making their loss particularly painful for the sector.

This issue is confirmed at the regional level as well. The management of Zhytomyrvodokanal (a public water utility company) previously reported that continued mobilization could result in the loss of half its personnel — putting uninterrupted water supply and other vital infrastructure operations at serious risk.

Experts warn: if urgent measures are not taken to preserve the workforce in the housing and utilities sector, the country could face large-scale disruptions in the provision of basic public services.