The Verkhovna Rada Committee on Social Policy and Protection of Veterans’ Rights has recommended that Parliament adopt as a basis Draft Law No. 14385 on the specifics of labor relations in temporarily occupied territories and areas of active combat.

The document was developed with the participation of experts from the UAC Analytical Center “Smart Country,” established within the Ukrainian Agri Council (UAC).

The initiator of the draft law, Member of Parliament Halyna Tretiakova, stated that the document is aimed at enterprises that remain in temporarily occupied territories (TOT) or active combat zones until their relocation.

According to her, the draft law seeks to reduce the risks of liability for the inability to maintain labor records or comply with certain legislative requirements due to objective wartime circumstances, and to create conditions for business recovery after re-registration in government-controlled territory.

The Government’s position during the committee meeting was presented by Taras Vysotskyi, Deputy Minister of Economy, Environment and Agriculture of Ukraine. He expressed support for the draft law and emphasized the need to introduce amendments to the Tax Code of Ukraine to ensure comprehensive support for enterprises operating in combat zones or temporarily occupied territories.

During the discussion, representatives of the agricultural sector provided practical examples of the loss of primary documentation, machinery, and production facilities as a result of hostilities and occupation.

Mykhailo Sokolov, Deputy Chairman of the Ukrainian Agri Council (UAC), stressed that simple and practical solutions are critically important for businesses:

“Some enterprises are physically unable to comply with current requirements due to the loss of documents or access to assets. The state must take these realities into account and provide legal mechanisms that will allow businesses to preserve their potential and resume operations after relocation.”

Following the review, the committee voted to recommend that the draft law be adopted as a basis and included in the parliamentary agenda, with further refinement before the second reading.

Draft Law No. 14385 was registered on January 15, 2026. The document introduces special rules governing labor relations from the moment a territory is included in the official list of active combat areas or temporarily occupied territories until it is removed from that list or until the business is re-registered in government-controlled territory.