Thousands of draft reservation applications remain unaddressed, says Ukrainian MP

Delays in processing employee reservations are due to the dismissal of a relevant deputy minister, according to the ministry.

An MP reported that government departments have not considered thousands of applications for reserving employees from enterprises for months.

Furthermore, representatives of defense companies have complained about blackmail from draft offices. "On one hand, draft offices are looking for recruits, while on the other, the Ministry of Defense and the Ministry of Economy hold applications for draft reservations for months," the MP said.

She believes it is currently inappropriate to introduce economic reservation as a separate draft law. The Ministry of Economy and the Ministry of Defense should first organize their government decree on reservations and establish proper prioritization.

First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy Yulia Svyrydenko told NV Business that consultations on additional economic reservations are ongoing, as this issue requires balancing the needs of both businesses and the military.

The Ministry of Economy unofficially explained to NV Business that the slowdown in processing applications was due to the voluntary resignation of Deputy Minister of Economy Ihor Fomenko.

In June, the Ukrainian Cabinet of Ministers improved the military reservation system by allowing documents to be submitted through the governmental Diia app, reducing the procedure to 60 minutes, according to the Ministry of Economy's press service. Up to 100% of employees can now be protected from the draft for defense companies, energy companies, companies restoring or repairing the energy complex, building fortifications, and certified mine action operators.

The military reservation period for critical enterprises has been extended from six to twelve months, and it is now possible to reserve persons liable for military service with shortage specialties regardless of age, rank, and specialty.