Business news from Ukraine

Business news from Ukraine

Ukrainian legislation allows women with medical and pharmaceutical education to be registered for military service in absentia, but there is no mechanism for their forced return from abroad, according to lawyers

The law allows women with medical and pharmaceutical education to be registered for military service without their personal presence, but there are no mechanisms for the forced conscription of such women from abroad, lawyers interviewed by the Interfax-Ukraine news agency explained.

“The obligation to register for military service does indeed exist. If a person is physically outside Ukraine, they must notify the territorial recruitment center at their place of registration, in particular by email, that they are temporarily abroad. However, there is no mechanism that would allow the state to forcibly return a citizen to fulfill this obligation. This also applies to those who are abroad under the temporary protection mechanism,” said Zoryana Skaletska, partner at Ario Law Firm and Minister of Health in 2019-2020.

She noted that in the context of military registration of women with medical or pharmaceutical education, “it is important to distinguish between the concepts of ‘compulsory’ and ‘automatic’ registration.”

“Compulsory always means restriction of freedom, and we do not have such mechanisms. However, automatic registration is indeed provided for. The Cabinet of Ministers’ resolution of July 30, 2025, allows such women to be registered for military service without their personal presence,” she said.

Skaletskaya explained that there are currently three mechanisms through which women with medical or pharmaceutical education can be entered into the Unified State Register of Conscripts, Military Service Obligators, and Reservists: through an educational institution, through a personal message, and through an employer.

“Thus, ‘automatic registration’ actually takes place through official notification of the educational institution or employer, but does not imply coercion or physical control by the state,” Skaletskaya noted.

She also emphasized that the law does not provide for separate liability specifically for women with medical or pharmaceutical education who have not registered for military service, since there are now general rules on violations of the law on military duty and military service, which provide for a fine of 850 to 1,700 hryvnia.

“Theoretically, this article can also be applied to women who have the relevant education but have not applied to the TCC and SP, especially if they are not employed and received their diploma many years ago. However, in practice, the application of this norm is still limited,” she noted.

Skaletskaya pointed out that the TCC and SP will only be able to automatically identify such persons when the Unified State Register of Conscripts, Military Service Obligators, and Reservists has technical access to the Ministry of Education’s diploma database.

“Currently, such interaction between the registers has not been introduced, so we do not see active prosecution of female medical professionals who have not registered,” she said.

Skaletskaya pointed out that “the practice of submitting information about female graduates of medical institutions to military registration and enlistment offices existed even before the current changes, but now we have another problem: the data in the registers is often not updated.”

“If we talk about the practical meaning of this control, its purpose is not punishment, but the ability to quickly recruit medical specialists if necessary for the defense sector. But it is important to understand that even in this case, a woman can only be recruited after passing a military medical commission (VVC), and not all of them are recognized as fit for service based on its results,” the lawyer emphasized.

She also noted that military registration control applies to all enterprises regardless of ownership, including private clinics.

For her part, Galina Chernyakina, a lawyer at Barristers, noted that the registration of women with medical or pharmaceutical education is exclusively a registration measure and is not equivalent to mobilization, i.e., it does not in itself mean compulsory conscription or military service without a corresponding decision by the state.

At the same time, she noted that “restrictions on traveling abroad during martial law apply exclusively to male citizens of Ukraine between the ages of 18 and 60 who are subject to military registration and mobilization, while women who have medical or pharmaceutical education and are subject to military service are not restricted in their right to travel abroad, even during a period of general mobilization.”

“Accordingly, women who are abroad under a temporary protection program or on other grounds cannot be forcibly returned to Ukraine for military registration, mobilization, or military service,” she said.

Chernyakina noted that the main type of liability for violating military registration rules is administrative, which provides for fines, and criminal liability can only arise in the case of actual evasion of mobilization after receiving a summons.

“However, so far, the practice of bringing women who are subject to military registration in accordance with the law to administrative or criminal responsibility is rare,” she said.

Source: https://ru.interfax.com.ua/news/general/1114670.html

 

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Wife of lawyer Globa asks law enforcement authorities to intervene in her conflict with her ex-husband

The wife of lawyer Konstantin Globa, lawyer Vitalia Globa, is asking law enforcement and the bar association to intervene in her conflict with her ex-husband. Vitalia Globa made this statement at a press conference at the Interfax-Ukraine agency on Friday. She noted that on September 10, she purchased a Mercedes car from her mother, but her ex-husband prevented her from taking it and blocked it near his office in the Pechersky district of Kyiv.

“As the owner of the vehicle, I came and tried to take it away, but my ex-husband resisted, forbade me to use it, blocked it, and climbed onto the roof of the car. He repeatedly threatened me and deprived me of the opportunity to use my property,” she said.

Globa also noted that her ex-husband “deprived me of my funds during the divorce because he had access to bank deposit boxes.

For her part, Vitalia Globa’s lawyer, Daria Koziy, noted that Vitalia purchased the car, which had previously belonged to her mother, after the divorce, and her ex-husband “had no connection to it and now has no right to this car, but continues to terrorize the family.

“At the moment when she (Vitalia Globa – IFU) decided to take the car, her car was blocked by other cars. Currently, this car is blocked by an armored Hammer vehicle, which cannot be removed by any tow truck,” the lawyer emphasized.

Kozij also reported that the day before, on September 12, unknown individuals attacked her when she asked them not to remove the license plates from her client’s car. She also noted that Konstantin Globa had filed several lawsuits against his ex-wife and her mother.

Vitalia Globa intends to prove her right to the car in court. According to Koziy, the court will consider the case regarding ownership of the car based on Vitalia Globa’s lawsuit on September 23.

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Ukrainian companies continue to relocate to Germany, Poland, Bulgaria, Romania, and Slovakia

The relocation of Ukrainian businesses abroad, which in 2022 took the form of emergency evacuation, is becoming strategic planning to diversify risks, enter EU markets, and ensure business continuity, according to Kateryna Danilova, partner at Barristers Law Firm.

“While in 2022 relocation was often an emergency evacuation, it is now taking on the characteristics of strategic planning with the aim of diversifying risks, entering EU markets, and ensuring business continuity,” she told the Interfax-Ukraine news agency.
Danilova noted that “since the start of the full-scale invasion, Ukrainian businesses have kept up their interest in relocation, although it’s changed depending on what’s happening on the front lines and the overall economic situation.”

According to the lawyer’s observations, the information technology (IT) sector is the most active in terms of relocation, due to its mobility, focus on global markets, and minimal dependence on physical assets.

“For IT companies, relocation often means opening offices in EU countries to retain their teams, which also allows them to guarantee continuity and stability of services to their clients and simplifies access to international financial infrastructure. Many companies based in Diia.City are setting up overseas hubs while keeping a significant part of their development in Ukraine,” she said.

In addition, according to Danilova, manufacturing companies in light industry, woodworking, component manufacturing, and the food industry are also very active in relocation.

“The main driver for them is the desire to protect production facilities from physical destruction, bring production closer to European consumers, expand the sales market, etc.,” she said.

Agrarian and processing enterprises are also active in relocation, seeking opportunities to create processing capacities in neighboring EU countries to gain access to the market without logistical complications at the border.
In addition, these are companies in the creative industry, consulting, and marketing, which, like IT, are mobile and actively integrating into the European market.

Commenting on the geography of relocation, Danilova noted that the choice of a relocation country depends on many factors, including geographical proximity, logistics, business conditions, the availability of support programs, the tax climate, and cultural and linguistic similarities.

Currently, the main destinations for Ukrainian businesses are Poland, which leads in the number of relocated Ukrainian companies, and Germany, where Ukrainian businesses are attracted by economic stability, access to the largest EU market, and high purchasing power, although this country is “characterized by a higher level of bureaucracy and tax burden.”

In addition, Ukrainian businesses are relocating to Romania and Bulgaria, which are gaining popularity thanks to, in particular, competitive tax rates and lower labor costs, the Czech Republic and Slovakia, which are traditionally attractive due to their cultural proximity and favorable conditions for small and medium-sized enterprises, and the Baltic countries (Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia), which are “interesting for technology and innovation companies due to their developed digital infrastructure and favorable investment climate.”

However, Danilova stressed that “it is legally impossible to transfer an employee from a Ukrainian legal entity to a foreign one, as they are different business entities operating in different legal systems,” but in practice, companies use a number of mechanisms.
These include, in particular, dismissal in Ukraine and employment abroad, which is the most common and transparent mechanism, but requires the employee to obtain a residence and work permit in the country of relocation, or a business trip, which is risky for long-term work abroad.

In addition, companies use mechanisms for concluding civil law contracts, where an employee registers as an individual entrepreneur in Ukraine (or as an individual entrepreneur in the country of relocation) and concludes a service contract with a foreign company. This model is flexible but carries the risk of additional taxes and penalties.

Another common mechanism is intra-corporate transfer (Intra-Corporate Transferee), which is used in EU countries that have implemented the relevant EU Directive, which creates simplified conditions for the temporary transfer of key managers, specialists, and trainees within a group of companies. This requires, in particular, the existence of legally related Ukrainian and foreign companies. Another popular mechanism is outsourcing or “leasing” of employees, which involves removing employees from the payroll on condition that they are hired by a foreign company. However, Ukrainian legislation does not contain clear regulatory provisions governing such legal relations.

Commenting on the pitfalls of Ukrainian legislation in the field of relocation, Danilova noted a number of restrictions in the Ukrainian legal field, in particular, currency restrictions, rules for controlled foreign companies (CFC), transfer pricing (TP), as well as restrictions on travel abroad and the movement of assets.

In addition, banking compliance and opening a bank account for a new company in the EU founded by Ukrainian citizens, the complexity of managing a dual structure, the loss of preferential treatment upon the actual transfer of activities abroad, in particular IT companies, which may lose the advantages of the special legal and tax regime of Dnipro.City, as well as adaptation to foreign legislation.

“Relocating a business abroad is an effective tool for minimizing the risks of war, but at the same time it is a complex legal and organizational project. The success of relocation directly depends on comprehensive strategic planning that takes into account all legal, tax, financial, and operational aspects,” she said.

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Ukraine’s judicial system is introducing new technologies, but delays in consideration of cases remain – Barristers

Since the beginning of 2025, Ukraine’s judicial system has shown some progress in the introduction of new technologies, but there are delays in the consideration of cases and the enforcement of court decisions, according to Vitaliy Chayun, a lawyer at the Barristers law firm.

“The war has affected all aspects of the functioning of the courts, from the physical safety of judges to citizens’ access to justice. Despite this, the courts continue to operate, adapting to the conditions of martial law and the requirements of European integration reforms. In the first half of 2025, the judicial system showed some progress in the implementation of new technologies and reforms, but faced a number of problems, such as delays in the consideration of cases and difficulties in the enforcement of court decisions,” he told the Interfax-Ukraine news agency.

Chayun recalled that in 2024, 5.3 million cases were submitted to courts of all instances and jurisdictions, of which 4.4 million were considered by the courts.
“Approximately one million cases remain unresolved. This indicates a significant burden on the judicial system, especially given the conditions of martial law and staff shortages. It can be assumed that the number of cases in 2025 will remain high, given the growth in 2024 and the continuation of martial law,” he said.

Chayun noted that in the first half of 2025, Ukraine’s judicial system “continues to adapt to the conditions of war and reform in preparation for EU accession,” and among the main trends in the work of the judicial system is the introduction of remote court hearings, which allow hearings to be held without the physical presence of participants.

“This is especially important in wartime, when many citizens are internally displaced persons or live in combat zones. Given these challenges, the development of remote court proceedings is becoming a priority task, the implementation of which will ensure the effectiveness of court proceedings and procedural economy,” he said.

In addition, Chayun drew attention to the problem of filling judicial vacancies: in 2025, it is planned to appoint 1,800 judges to local courts, 550 to appellate courts, and 25 to the High Anti-Corruption Court. However, due to the length of the appointment procedures, “the judiciary has been ‘bled dry’ for many years.”

Chae also noted the processes of modernizing court IT systems and creating new specialized courts.
Commenting on the length of proceedings in Ukrainian courts, the lawyer pointed out that they “remain one of the key problems.” “Cases can be delayed for years due to a lack of funding for basic needs such as stamps, envelopes, and stationery necessary to send correspondence to parties to the proceedings,” he said.

According to Chayun, the delays affect “all types of cases, including economic cases, which are often complex due to the large number of documents and parties involved.” He recalled that between January and April 2025, 59,400 cases were pending in courts of various instances against the State Tax Service for a total amount of UAH 413.8 billion. At the same time, 6,900 cases worth UAH 78.7 billion were considered, of which 2,300 cases (including non-property disputes) worth UAH 44.4 billion were in favor of the State Tax Service, and 4,600 cases worth UAH 34.3 billion were in favor of taxpayers.

“Although there is no accurate data on the timing of economic cases in the first half of 2025, delays persist due to court overload and limited funding. It is expected that filling judicial vacancies and modernizing IT systems in the future will help speed up the consideration of cases, but in the first half of 2025, no significant improvements were achieved, and the shortage of personnel in the judicial system only exacerbates negative trends,” the lawyer emphasized.

He also drew attention to a number of problems with the enforcement of court decisions. “The enforcement of court decisions remains one of the most acute problems of the judicial system, as more than half of court decisions remain unenforced. In 2025, a new law on the digitization of enforcement proceedings and the implementation of a strategy to improve the work of the enforcement service are planned to be adopted. This demonstrates the state’s recognition of the existing problems in this area. However, during 2025, problems with the enforcement of court decisions are likely to persist due to the insufficient effectiveness of the enforcement service and a lack of resources,” the lawyer said.

“The Ukrainian judicial system showed gradual progress in implementing reforms in the first half of 2025, but delays in the consideration of cases, limited access to justice due to financial and technical problems, and difficulties in enforcing court decisions remain significant challenges. Lawyers are forced to adapt to these conditions, which requires additional efforts to protect their clients’ rights. Further reforms and support from the state and international partners are critical to ensuring effective and fair justice in Ukraine,” he concluded.

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Former SBU head Bakanov has become lawyer

The former chairman of the SBU Ivan Bakanov received a lawyer’s certificate on June 27, 2023 in the Council of lawyers of Poltava region.

The record about it is made in the Register of lawyers, posted on the website of the National Bar Association.

The Verkhovna Rada dismissed him from the post of Chairman of the SBU exactly one year ago – July 19, 2022.

Source: Bakanov Ivan Gennadiyovych Є One Register of Lawyers of Ukraine (unba.org.ua)

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TENANTS DURING LOCKDOWN HAS RIGHT TO SEEK REDUCTION IN RENT IN COURT, BUT PROCEDURE DOES NOT REALLY WORK

Tenants during lockdown have the right to seek for a reduction in rent in court, but this procedure does not really work, Head of Omerta Organized Law Group Yevhen Fedoseyev has said.
“In case of refusal to reduce the rent, the tenant has the right to apply to court for a forced reduction of the rent. After the court decision comes into force, the rent will be reduced by a percentage and for the period that will be indicated in the court decision. But this procedure doesn’t work in practice, with a few exceptions,” he told Interfax-Ukraine, commenting on bill No. 3377 adopted at the final stage by parliament, which offers a mechanism to support tenants during lockdown.
“In order to be able to really reduce the rent or take vacations for the lockdown period, there must be an ideal and detailed lease agreement, which in most cases does not exist. As a rule, the lease agreement is formal,” he said.
Fedoseyev said that in many cases business entities that suspended activities due to lockdown are forced to apply to the Chamber of Commerce and Industry for force majeure certificates.
He also said that currently, the regulatory framework does not provide a mechanism for determining the amount of preferential rents, in particular in situations where, due to circumstances for which the tenant is not responsible, the tenant is not able to use the property. According to the Civil Code, the tenant is exempt from payment for the entire time during which the property could not be used by him due to circumstances for which he is not responsible.

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