Business in Ukraine operates in a reality where almost every management decision ultimately comes down to the human factor — literally, to conscription-eligible employees. That is why search queries like “economic reservation”, “reservation of employees”, “reservation from mobilization” are consistently among the top requests from Ukrainian businesses. At the same time, the state keeps changing the rules, amending the Procedure for Reserving Conscription-Eligible Persons and preparing draft laws on the so-called economic reservation.
This article is not a legal opinion and not an instruction on “how to bypass mobilization”. Its purpose is to clearly separate what is already regulated by law, what still exists only at the level of draft legislation, and how a company’s manager can avoid drowning in dozens of versions of a “list for reserving conscription-eligible employees”.
What Reservation of Conscription-Eligible Persons Is Now — and What Exists Only in Draft Laws
As of today, the legal basis for reservation is determined by:
- the Law of Ukraine “On Mobilization Preparation and Mobilization”;
- the Law “On Military Duty and Military Service”;
- Resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine No. 76 “On Approval of the Procedure for Reserving Conscription-Eligible Persons during Martial Law”.
It is precisely the Procedure for Reserving Conscription-Eligible Persons, approved by Resolution No. 76, that describes who and how can submit reservation lists of conscription-eligible employees, how the list of positions subject to reservation is formed, and who is considered critical for the functioning of the economy and for meeting defense needs.
In the public space, the term “economic reservation” has been in use for quite some time. It is used to describe draft laws that propose allowing businesses to “purchase” the right to reserve part of their employees from mobilization in exchange for regular payments to the budget. In these materials, one may encounter various formulations such as: “new law on reservation of employees”, “draft law on economic reservation”, “law on reservation from mobilization”, “new list of conscription-eligible persons”.
As of late 2025, the key draft laws on economic reservation (including those that proposed monthly payments by businesses for reservation of employees) are still going through the parliamentary procedure and are being amended. In other words, economic reservation as a separate, stable procedure has not yet been formalized into a complete legislative mechanism.
Therefore, any company that plans to reserve personnel must primarily rely on the current version of Resolution No. 76, and not on the discussion of draft laws in the media.
What Questions Employers Are Actually Worried About
If we look at search statistics, we can see how businesses are trying to feel out the line between their rights and obligations. In different wordings, the same questions keep repeating:
- “What documents are needed to reserve employees?”
- “List of positions subject to reservation during mobilization” and, in parallel, “list of professions not subject to reservation”, “which military specialties are not subject to reservation”, “military specialties that are not subject to reservation”.
- “Can a sole proprietor (FOP) reserve an employee?”, “is it possible to reserve a conscript?”, “reservation of conscription-eligible employees at an enterprise”.
- “New law on reservation of conscription-eligible persons”, “changes to reservation of conscription-eligible persons”, “cancellation of reservation of conscription-eligible persons”, “extension of reservation of conscription-eligible persons”, “repeat reservation of employees”.
- Very practical queries: “extract from the order on reservation of conscription-eligible persons”, “template of a letter regarding reservation of conscription-eligible persons”, “reservation form for conscription-eligible persons”, “form for reserving conscription-eligible persons”, “algorithm for reserving conscription-eligible persons”, “procedure for reserving employees”.
On the other hand, employees are concerned about something else: “reserved conscription-eligible persons”, “list of reserved persons”, “military specialties that are not subject to reservation”, “MOS (VUS) that are not subject to reservation”.
The task of business is not to answer all these questions “by guesswork”, but to create a transparent internal policy that is based on the law and honestly explains to people how the company approaches reservation.
Current Reservation Rules: What a Manager Needs to Understand
If we simplify as much as possible, the current Procedure for Reserving Conscription-Eligible Persons sets out three key things:
- Who can reserve employees.
This refers to public authorities, enterprises, institutions and organizations that are recognized as critical to the functioning of the economy, defense, and the life of the population. The mere fact that a company is “important to itself” does not mean it is automatically included in the list of critically important entities. - Exactly whom can be reserved.
This is not “all men of conscription age”. Internally, a list of positions subject to reservation is formed based on which employees are essential for the company to perform its functions. At the same time, there are restrictions: some military occupational specialties are not subject to reservation — that is why search queries like “which military specialties are not subject to reservation” or “which MOS (VUS) are not subject to reservation” are so common. - What the algorithm for reserving conscription-eligible persons looks like.
In practice, this is a sequence: compiling lists, having them approved by the relevant authorities (for example, a ministry for state-owned enterprises or a central executive body), submitting them for reservation to the Ministry of Economy, receiving an extract from the order on reservation of conscription-eligible persons, and communicating this information to the Territorial Recruitment and Social Support Centers (TCCs). The specific procedure, forms, and deadlines may change along with amendments to the Resolution, so each time it is necessary to check the up-to-date version of the Procedure in the official legal database of the Verkhovna Rada.
Separately, it is worth mentioning sole proprietors (FOP). As of the second half of 2025, FOPs do not have a general mechanism for economic reservation enshrined in law; the question “can a FOP reserve an employee” in each specific case requires an analysis of the entrepreneur’s status, type of activity, and the latest changes in legislation.
Economic Reservation: An Idea Still Searching for Its Form
The concept of economic reservation seems simple: a business receives the possibility to reserve some of its employees from mobilization in exchange for transparent and understandable financial contributions and adherence to certain criteria (number of jobs, tax payments, criticality to the economy). In various versions of draft laws, the following may appear:
- special criteria for reserving conscription-eligible persons for businesses;
- a separate procedure and criteria for reservation tied to economic indicators;
- a transition from one-off decisions to a more standardized system.
However, until a law is actually adopted and amendments are made to the Procedure for Reserving Conscription-Eligible Persons, all references to “economic reservation” should be seen as an announcement of a possible future mechanism, not as an existing right.
What Businesses Can Do Right Now
What can a responsible employer do today, without waiting for yet another “new law on reservation of conscription-eligible persons”?
- Work only with official sources.
Check the current version of Resolution No. 76 and the relevant laws on the website of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, and refer to clarifications from the Ministry of Economy and the Ministry of Defense. Everything else is just commentary that may become outdated within weeks. - Describe the company’s internal policy on reservation.
Clearly define which positions may be included in the list of positions subject to reservation, how the criticality of functions is assessed, which documents are collected to compile lists, and how personal data is processed. Then employees will stop looking for answers like “list of reserved persons” on third-party websites. - Engage specialized lawyers.
Reservation is an intersection of mobilization law, labor law, tax risks and reputational consequences. Any templates for a “letter regarding reservation of conscription-eligible persons” or “sample extract on reservation of conscription-eligible persons” found online may be outdated or directly contradict current norms. - Speak honestly with the team.
When a business openly explains that there are specialties that are not subject to reservation, that there are categories of conscription-eligible persons that cannot be reserved under the law, tension and mistrust within the team decrease.
Reservation is not a tool for “escaping mobilization”. It is a mechanism intended to allow the state to simultaneously maintain defense capability and avoid destroying critically important sectors of the economy. The more carefully businesses treat the law and communication with people, the less space remains for abuse and chaos.
