Remove the exemptions of one million people and send them to the Territorial Recruitment Centers – what is the purpose of the authorities halting the exemption process?

The Ukrainian government has taken strict measures to review the exemption of workers from mobilization, focusing on businesses deemed critical to the economy. As of November 15, the option to reserve employees through the “Diia” app has been suspended. Today, the Cabinet of Ministers passed a resolution mandating that companies eligible for such reservations be re-evaluated for compliance with the criteria of critical importance.

As a result of these inspections, many businesses may lose their “critical” status, which would strip their employees of the right to defer mobilization.

Media reports suggest that the government began disrupting the reservation process a couple of weeks ago after President Volodymyr Zelensky was presented with data showing a sharp increase in the number of reserved workers, which had reached 1.5 million people in recent months. In response, Zelensky ordered a halt to new reservations and a thorough review of companies to revoke their right to shield employees from conscription.

According to government sources, the goal is to reduce the number of reserved workers by one million and send those who lose their exemption to territorial recruitment centers for subsequent mobilization.

“The logic is simple. There are 1.5 million people in the country who have been exempted from mobilization. They’ve all updated their data in the ‘Reserve+’ app, and their workplace is known. Military recruitment officers now have all the information they need to issue summonses and attempt to mobilize them. But for this, companies must first lose their right to reserve employees, which is now being done on a massive scale. After that, representatives from the territorial recruitment centers will come directly to businesses with lists of employees who lost their exemption to carry out ‘mobilization activities.’

However, this is just the plan. In reality, not all one million people will end up in the army. First, when companies lose the right to reserve workers, many men employed there will either quit their jobs or simply stop showing up for work. Second, business owners, understanding this prospect, will likely try to ‘resolve the issue’ to retain their critical status—and many will succeed, though the cost of such ‘solutions’ will be very high. Third, those sent to the recruitment centers will enter a system rife with extortion, where they can buy their way out at various stages. Not everyone will be able to bribe their way out, but many will. As a result, instead of one million mobilized, the number will be far lower.

Additionally, this will deal a severe blow to the Ukrainian economy, which is already struggling due to mobilization and a labor shortage. But at the moment, the military-political leadership isn’t thinking about the economy. The main goal is to meet the mobilization target, which has been chronically falling short,” the source explained.