Reservations without a military ID: what will change for employees and businesses

The Verkhovna Rada adopted in the first reading draft law No. 13335, which allows critically important enterprises to temporarily hire and reserve even those men who do not have a military ID, are not registered with the Territorial Recruitment Center, or are “wanted” by territorial recruitment centers. This decision sparked heated debate, as it effectively concerns those who have violated mobilization legislation.

What exactly does the bill propose?

The document stipulates that defense and other strategic enterprises may enter into an employment contract with an employee even if he:

• does not have a military registration document or it is not properly executed,
• is not registered with the military,
• has not updated their personal data,
• is wanted by the TCC (but not for criminal offenses).

Such employees are granted a reservation — but only for 45 days and only once a year. During this time, they must bring their documents into compliance with the law. If this does not happen, the enterprise will be able to dismiss the person.

Why is this necessary?

The authors of the bill explain that Ukraine’s defense industry needs people. Manufacturing weapons, repairing, and modernizing equipment is impossible without specialists. But in reality, companies face the fact that when registering for reservations, employees receive draft notices or their data turns out to be out of date. This leads to delays and disruptions in the work of enterprises that supply the front lines.

Thus, the new regulations should help to quickly recruit personnel and give people a chance to legalize their status without the risk of being immediately mobilized.

Arguments for and against

Supporters of the initiative say that it is important for the country that factories and enterprises that repair or manufacture equipment operate without interruption. Even if a person does not have a military ID, it is better to give them the opportunity to register and contribute to critical production.

However, there is also criticism. The Ministry of Defense has spoken out against the initiative, noting that such an approach creates “privileges” for those who have not fulfilled their duty. After all, disciplined citizens have already updated their data and are registered, while violators will get a chance to be reserved.

What this means for people

If the law is finally passed, men who are employed by critically important enterprises will be able to obtain “protection” from mobilization for 45 days. During this time, they will need to resolve the issue of their military ID and register. Otherwise, they will be dismissed and face further problems with the TCC.

For ordinary citizens, this looks like a compromise: the state is trying to simultaneously preserve defense production and encourage people to comply with legal requirements.