15.09.2025
The Department of Interaction with the National Police of Ukraine of the Ministry of Internal Affairs has responded to a request from the Energy Club concerning amendments to the Traffic Regulations. The Club’s proposal was to create an exception for the specialized vehicles of distribution system operators (DSOs) used for emergency and restoration work, exempting them from weight and size restrictions.
As a reminder, in its letter dated July 30, 2025, the Energy Club proposed to supplement paragraph 22.5 of the Traffic Regulations to expedite the repair of power grids damaged as a result of hostilities.
In its response, signed by Deputy Director of the Department Oleksandr Naumenko, the Ministry of Internal Affairs did not support this initiative, providing a detailed explanation of the current regulations.
The department emphasized that the movement of oversized and overweight vehicles requires special permits issued by the National Police after the route has been approved by the road owners. These requirements, as stated in the letter, are established to protect roads and bridges from premature destruction.
At the same time, the Ministry of Internal Affairs highlighted an exception that already exists in Ukrainian legislation. According to the seventh paragraph of clause 22.5 of the Traffic Regulations, during the period of martial law and for three months after its termination, weight and size restrictions do not apply to vehicles transporting goods for state defense purposes by decision of the military command.
“Thus, the issue of transporting goods for the purpose of ensuring the defense of the state by decision of the military command is regulated by the Traffic Regulations,” the Department concluded.
Energy Club thanks the Ministry of Internal Affairs for the clarification provided. At the same time, Energy Club will continue to study how effective and flexible the existing mechanism is for the operational needs of energy workers, who often require an immediate response without the possibility of lengthy approvals. The dialogue on this issue will be continued.
