Ukraine is switching to standard time; when to change the clock
On the night of Saturday, October 24, to Sunday, October 25, Ukraine is set to switch to standard time. At 4:00 a.m., clocks will need to be set back one hour to 3:00 a.m. Although the Verkhovna Rada approved the abolition of daylight saving time back in 2024, the corresponding law has not yet been signed by the president.
The clock change in Ukraine follows the usual schedule: the country switches to standard time on the last Sunday in October and to daylight saving time on the last Sunday in March. This year, the clocks will need to be set back on the night of October 24–25.
At 4:00 a.m., clocks must be set back one hour to 3:00 a.m. This means the night will be one hour longer, and you’ll be able to sleep a little longer. Smartphones, computers, and other devices usually adjust the time automatically if the automatic time setting is enabled in their settings. Mechanical watches, as well as devices without automatic time adjustment, will need to be set manually.
Currently, the procedure for calculating time in Ukraine is regulated by Cabinet of Ministers Resolution No. 509 of May 13, 1996, “On the Procedure for Calculating Time on the Territory of Ukraine.”
Why Are Clocks Still Being Set Back, Even Though Parliament Approved the Abolition?
On July 16, 2024, the Verkhovna Rada adopted Bill No. 4201 “On the Calculation of Time in Ukraine.” It provides for the abolition of seasonal clock changes and the introduction of a single Kyiv time zone—UTC+2. According to the authors’ plan, Ukraine was to remain on standard time, and the annual switches to daylight saving time and back were to cease.
However, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has not yet signed this law. Therefore, it has not entered into force, and the seasonal clock change continues under the current rules. For this very reason, Ukrainians will have to change their clocks in the fall of 2026 as well.
Where did the tradition of changing the clocks come from?
The idea of seasonal time changes arose to make more efficient use of daylight hours and save electricity. The United Kingdom was one of the first countries to adopt this practice: seasonal time changes were first implemented there in 1908. Other countries later followed suit. In Ukraine, clocks are traditionally set forward or back twice a year—in the spring and fall. But if Law No. 4201 is signed and takes effect, the rules will change: seasonal time changes will be abolished, and the country will operate on a permanent Kyiv time standard.
Therefore, on the night of October 25, 2026, clocks in Ukraine will need to be set back one hour. Despite the Verkhovna Rada’s decision to abolish the seasonal time change, the corresponding law has not yet taken effect.
