Today, on 7 August 2025, Law No. 4397-IX ‘On Amendments to Certain Laws of Ukraine on Meeting the Needs of the Population for Transportation under Martial Law’ (Draft Law No. 12177-1) comes into force.

As previously reported, the law permits communities to designate public transport, including buses, trams, trolleybuses and subway cars, as humanitarian aid for passenger transportation.

This includes humanitarian aid from both Ukrainian and international donors. Recipients of humanitarian aid can be utility companies that operate road or urban electric transport.

This law, along with others, should comprehensively address the issue of using vehicles transferred to communities as humanitarian aid.

To remind you, on 18 December 2024, Law of Ukraine No. 3914-ІХ ‘On Amendments to Article 15 of the Law of Ukraine ‘On Humanitarian Aid’ regarding the List of Recipients of Humanitarian Aid’ came into force. This law regulates the receipt and use of vehicles and equipment donated by international partners as humanitarian aid for utility companies, among other things.

In addition, on 8 January 2025, the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine adopted in the first reading Draft Law No. 12250 on Amendments to Article 201-2 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine to improve liability for the illegal use of humanitarian aid by state and utility companies. The draft law stipulates that the use of humanitarian aid, charitable donations or free assistance by communities is not subject to criminal liability.

According to the Ministry for Development, during the full-scale invasion, more than 90 Ukrainian communities from 22 regions received public transport as humanitarian aid. This includes almost 800 buses, 60 subway cars, dozens of trams and trolleybuses, a total of more than one thousand vehicles.