The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine has registered a draft law No. 14385 dated January 15, 2026, introducing amendments to certain Ukrainian legislative acts regarding the organization of labor relations in territories affected by active combat operations and temporarily occupied territories.

The draft law was developed with the participation of experts from the Ukrainian Agri Council (UAC) as part of a project supporting affected agricultural producers, in partnership with the international humanitarian organization Mercy Corps, taking into account the needs of farmers working in frontline regions or who have lost access to their farms due to temporary occupation.

The document aligns labor relations, occupational safety, and military registration regulations with the realities of martial law and provides for a special legal regime for employers operating or registered in areas of active combat or temporarily occupied territories, according to the official list approved by the Ministry of Communities and Territories Development of Ukraine. Specifically, the draft law proposes:

• Exempting employers from certain labor and occupational safety requirements for the period during which the territory is classified as an active combat zone or temporarily occupied. This includes regulations on working hours, rest periods, workplace certification, medical examinations, occupational safety documentation, investigation of accidents, and more.
• Granting employers in temporarily occupied territories the right to terminate employees whose workplaces are located in the occupied area, effective from the date the territory is included in the official list of temporarily occupied areas.
• Introducing a simplified mechanism for suspending labor contracts for employers in active combat zones without the need to additionally prove the impossibility of providing work.
• Exempting employers and their officials from legal liability (administrative, financial, or criminal) for failure to fulfill obligations that are objectively impossible to perform under wartime conditions, including delays in wage payments.
• Suspending inspections by the State Labor Service for employers during active combat or temporary occupation periods.
• Cancelling the obligation to maintain military registration for enterprises located in temporarily occupied territories until de-occupation or re-registration in government-controlled areas.
• Allowing for the restoration of HR documentation after a territory’s status changes, with a transitional period for this process.

The Ukrainian Agri Council (UAC) hopes for swift consideration and adoption of the draft law by parliament, as it provides legal clarity and reduces the risk of fines or criminal liability for farmers operating in combat zones or who have lost access to their farms due to occupation. It also:

Reduces administrative and financial pressure on agricultural enterprises, helping them maintain legal status and assets.

Prepares businesses to resume operations after stabilization or de-occupation.

Encourages re-registration of businesses in government-controlled areas, which is crucial for preserving the tax base, jobs, and the future development of the agricultural sector.

The Ukrainian Agri Council (UAC), in partnership with the international humanitarian organization MERCY CORPS, has also launched a legal advisory hotline to provide legal and accounting consultations for agricultural producers from affected regions.

To request a consultation, submit your request via the online form:
https://forms.gle/v56UzTAsrD9Zrx998

For follow-up questions, contact the legal advisory hotline: +38 067 522-03-43

Background:

MERCY CORPS is an international humanitarian organization operating in more than 40 countries worldwide, providing assistance to people affected by disasters, wars, poverty, and the impacts of climate change.