Mobilization from June 1: the Ministry of Defense explained who will be called up first and how the reservation is changing

The issue of mobilization in Ukraine remains one of the most sensitive for society due to constant changes in approaches to recruiting the army, military registration checks and deferral rules. The explanations of the Ministry of Defense drew special attention to the June changes, which concern not so much the general procedure for conscription, as the principles of selecting conscripts and strengthening control over the reservation system for employees of critical enterprises.

Who can be mobilized from June 1

The Ministry of Defense explained that no complete revision of the conscription rules is envisaged from June 1. The general system remains in force: conscripts who meet the age requirements, are recognized as fit for service and do not have a legal deferral are subject to mobilization. The changes relate primarily to the practical selection of people according to the needs of the army and strengthening control over the reservation of employees of critical enterprises.

According to the ministry’s specialists, the main logic of the mobilization work in the summer is to more accurately determine the specialists needed by the Defense Forces. The General Staff forms a request not based on a general list of all conscripts, but taking into account specific specialties, experience and training that are necessary for staffing units.

At the same time, the ministry stated that the basic age limits for mobilization will not change. As before, men from 25 to 60 years old are subject to conscription, if the military medical commission has recognized them as fit for service and they have no grounds for postponement. For senior officers, the age limit may be higher and reach 65 years.

Separately, the Ministry of Defense draws attention to men aged 18 to 24. In general, this category has the status of conscripts and can join the army voluntarily through a contract. At the same time, there is an exception that often causes misunderstanding: if a person has already completed military service or graduated from a military department before the age of 25, he is considered liable for military service. Under such conditions, he can be mobilized on general grounds before reaching the age of 25.

This approach is not a new rule from June, but in the summer it remains important for understanding the real circle of people who can be called up to territorial recruitment centers. A person’s status is determined not only by age, but also by previous military training and credentials.

Conscription priorities

As noted in the ministry, the priority of mobilization will be determined by the needs of the army, which are formed by the General Staff. This means that attention will be focused on those liable for military service with professions and skills necessary for specific tasks at the front and in the military infrastructure.

Among such specialties are drone operators, signalers, engineers, medics, mechanics and other specialists, without whom it is difficult to ensure the work of combat units. For the army, not only the number of mobilized people is important, but also whether the person’s training meets the real needs of the army.

The Ministry of Defense also emphasizes the role of updated data in the military registration system. The “Reserve +” application allows you to quickly clarify information about those liable for military service, which should help territorial recruitment centers work more accurately. Its use does not change the obligation to be registered, but simplifies data verification and reduces chaos in communication between citizens and the CCC.

Reservation of employees will become stricter

According to the ministry’s specialists, the most noticeable changes of the summer concern not the general rules of conscription, but the reservation of employees of enterprises that are of critical importance to the economy or the state. The government is tightening requirements to limit abuses and eliminate schemes through which reservations were used as a way to artificially avoid mobilization.

One of the key conditions is the salary threshold. To confirm the critical status of an enterprise and reserve an employee, the official average salary must be at least three minimum wages — 25,941 hryvnia. For businesses in front-line areas, a lower threshold is provided — 21,600 hryvnia.

Another important change concerns part-time workers. If previously a person could be associated with several companies, now he can be taken into account in the reservation quota only once and only at his main place of work. Part-time work is not prohibited, but it can no longer be used to obtain multiple grounds for deferment.

The government has also obliged the authorities to review the criteria by which enterprises are recognized as critical. Within a month, these criteria must be updated and agreed with the Ministry of Defense and the Ministry of Economy.

This means that the status of a critical enterprise will no longer be perceived as a permanent guarantee for automatic reservation of employees. Companies will have to confirm compliance with the requirements, and state authorities will check whether their activities are truly important for the economy, defense, or the functioning of important areas.

For employees, this means the need to more carefully monitor their status, place of main work, and documents confirming the reservation. For employers, the new rules create additional responsibility: the reservation must be justified, transparent, and related to the real needs of the enterprise.

So, from June 1, a complete change in the mobilization system is not being introduced, but the rules for its application are becoming more precise. The Ministry of Defense explains that priority will be given to those conscripts whose specialties meet the current needs of the Defense Forces.

At the same time, the reservation becomes more difficult to process and more stringent to verify. Salary requirements, restrictions on part-time workers, and a new review of criticality criteria should reduce the number of formal deferrals that are not related to real need for the state or the economy.