Ukraine’s Ministry of Defense: 14% of enterprises lost the right to defer military-age employees

In September, 14% of Ukrainian enterprises lost the ability to defer their military-age workers from conscription — following a review of critical enterprise status conducted by the Ministry of Defense.

The ministry announced this itself.

The Ministry of Defense completed its review of decisions on critical enterprise status that had been issued before July 7, 2026. As a result, status was confirmed for 86% of enterprises. The remaining 14% are required to resubmit a full package of documents to the ministry.

For the majority of enterprises, the review involved a simplified procedure that did not require resubmission of a full set of documents. Several categories of organizations were eligible to use it: contractors and subcontractors on defense contracts where defense-related activity accounts for more than 50% of total production; residents of Defence City; certain manufacturers of explosives and ammunition; and enterprises in the defense-industrial complex, aviation, and space sectors that had previously received status based on a combination of criteria.

The Ministry of Defense emphasized that retaining key specialists must ensure the stable fulfillment of defense orders and the expansion of production.

Earlier, Ukraine’s Cabinet of Ministers updated the rules for granting deferments from mobilization to students and postgraduate students.