Ukraine Extends Martial Law and Mobilization Until Jan. 29

Ukraine has extended martial law and general mobilization for another 90 days, until Jan. 29, 2027, as Russia’s full-scale invasion continues in its fifth year. Since February 2022, both measures have been renewed every three months. On Monday, Oct. 26, President Volodymyr Zelensky signed laws No. 5029-IX on martial law and No. 5030-IX on mobilization after they were approved by the parliament on the same day.JOIN US ON TELEGRAMFollow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official. Both laws take effect on Oct. 31, when the current extension expires, Ukrinform reported. Decrees cite ongoing Russian aggression The laws Zelensky signed approve two presidential decrees; No. 1060/2026 on extending martial law and No. 1061/2026 on extending general mobilization, which required parliament’s consent to take effect. The martial law decree points to Russia’s continuing large-scale armed aggression against Ukraine as the reason for the extensions. It was issued on a proposal from the National Security and Defense Council (NSDC), under Article 106 of Ukraine’s Constitution and the law on the legal regime of martial law. The decree amends Article 1 of Decree No. 64/2022 of Feb. 24, 2022, which first introduced martial law nationwide. Parliament backs extension According to Ukrinform, lawmakers approved both measures earlier on Monday, after parliament’s committee on national security, defense and intelligence had endorsed them. Bill No. 16182, approving the martial law decree, received 293 votes, while Bill No. 16183, covering mobilization, passed with 281 in favor. Other Topics of Interest Vučić Out, Students In: Still, No Sanctions Against Russia Nearly 140 seats and a 70% turnout ended Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić’s long-disputed era, yet Serbia still intends to buy discounted Russian gas. Speaking in parliament ahead of the vote, NSDC Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine Ihor Klymenko said the extension would help Ukraine take “adequate measures to counter armed aggression.” The move would also safeguard the country’s independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity, he argued. According to Klymenko, the extension also keeps in force the special powers held by state authorities, the military command, military administrations and local governments, which they need to repel the invasion. Deferment rules tightened days earlier The extension comes days after Prime Minister Serhii Koretsky’s government finalized an overhaul of Ukraine’s worker deferment system on Oct. 23, effectively ending automatic exemptions from mobilization for defense and energy companies. Unless they qualify for a deferment due to health-related issues or work, Ukrainian law requires men aged 25 to 60 to serve in the military. Under the previous rules, most critical companies could defer up to 50% of their draft-age employees, while defense and energy firms have been allowed to defer up to 100%. The latest overhaul ends automatic 100% protection and aims to create fair rules for those working away from the front, and, above all, for soldiers who have been fighting for nearly five years and need a realistic chance to return home. “Unconditional full deferment is unfair to those who serve and opens the door to misuse,” Koretskyi said earlier, adding that some companies had been set up purely to obtain deferments and that “it became a business.” The new approach makes full protection conditional – companies can keep their entire workforce only in case they contribute to the military on a rotating basis. “The ultimate goal is that no one has to search for anyone on the streets,” Koretskyi said, in an apparent reference to recruiters forcibly detaining men in public. Defense manufacturers have already lobbied against the new measures, noting that lowering the quota, even to 85%, could halt production lines, delay weapons deliveries and expose companies to penalties for missing state contract lines. Speaking at the Kyiv International Economic Forum on Monday, Koretskyi reiterated that Russia could mobilize another 300,000 to 500,000 people. Without planning ahead, he argued, Kyiv could again be forced into unpopular emergency decisions. On Sept. 28, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree No. 700, increasing the size of Russia’s armed forces to 2.4 million, including 1.5 million active-duty military personnel, marking the fourth time such a decree was signed in 2026 alone. Around the same time, President Volodymyr Zelensky warned that Russia had already begun additional mobilization, including the expansion of foreign troops, with over 8,000 already in Russia and up to 50,000 more planned. Kyiv Post is Ukraine’s first and oldest English news organization, reporting since 1995. Its international reach – 90% of readers are outside of Ukraine – make it truly Ukraine’s global voice.