A condiment manufacturer, a beer producer, and a fish shop have been identified as "critical" businesses: their employees can be booked from mobilization. This was reported by journalist Denys Bihus.

According to him, the criteria for reserving employees were approved by the government in January 2023. Of the seven criteria for reservation, three of them must be met.

The criteria include "no unified social tax arrears", "the company is a resident of Diia City" and "the average salary of employees is not less than the average salary in the region for the fourth quarter of 2021 (approximately UAH 15,000)".

However, the main criterion is the decision of local administrations that the company is critically important for the local community.

This is how, for example, a condiment manufacturer was determined to be a "critical" business in Kyiv region. The Commission recognized the company as producing products that "have no analogues or are limited in the domestic market."

The following companies received mobilization reservations: Nova Poshta, Obolon Brewery, Epicenter, Ukrenergo, PrivatBank, Vodafone, Channel 5, Silpo, Credit Agricole, 1+1, Pripravka, Eva (cosmetics store chain), MirTV, Egersund (a well-known fish shop and restaurant), Kinokot, and the Veryovka Choir.

"According to the current criteria, just any business, institution, organization, practically anyone, has the opportunity to book half of the conscripted workers," noted Bihus.

The journalist, citing open sources, said that there are between 540,000 and 700,000 people booked in Ukraine. The total mobilization reserve is 4 million people, a quarter of whom are men over 50.