Ukraine Officially Switches to Winter Time: History, Current Trends, and Possible Changes
Today, Ukraine has once again transitioned to winter time, a practice traditionally observed at the end of October.
During the night from October 25 to 26, the country moved the clocks back by one hour, marking the seasonal change.
This practice has become part of Ukrainian life since 1996, when the Cabinet of Ministers approved the decree ‘On the procedure for calculating time in Ukraine.’ Although there have been attempts to abolish the time change, notably in 2011, no final decision has been made, and Ukrainians are still required to manually adjust their clocks or rely on devices that update automatically.The time change affects both daily routines and official schedules across the country.
For instance, in 2025, the clocks were set back at 4 a.m.
on October 26, allowing Ukrainians to ‘gain’ an extra hour of rest or productivity.
Notably, in July 2024, the Verkhovna Rada supported Bill No.
4201 ‘On the calculation of time in Ukraine,’ which proposed canceling the switch to daylight saving time.
However, this law has not yet come into force, as President Volodymyr Zelensky refused to sign it.While modern smartphones and gadgets automatically adjust to the new time, mechanical clocks remain a challenge, requiring manual correction.
The ongoing situation raises questions about the future of seasonal time changes in Ukraine and the possible legislative reforms that could permanently abolish or retain this tradition.