Changing clocks twice a year was introduced after World War I to save electricity. The practice was later found to be inefficient and harmful to health, so many countries abandoned it.
In 2024, the Verkhovna Rada passed a law to abolish daylight saving time, so that Ukraine would remain on winter (natural) time permanently. However, the document must be signed by the president for it to come into force, which has not yet been done. Because of this, Ukrainians have already changed their clocks three times, and most likely the change will be repeated in March 2026.
The main reasons for canceling the change are minimal electricity savings and significant harm to health. The time change disrupts biorhythms, increases the risks of cardiovascular diseases and road accidents.
In addition, Ukraine spans two time zones. During summer time in Transcarpathia, dawn in July may begin at 9:00, while in Luhansk Oblast the sun rises around 4:00 — when most people are asleep. This results in inefficient use of daylight.
How to change the clocks
From November to March, Ukraine is on winter time — GMT+2, and from April to October, summer time — GMT+3.
The clocks change on the last Sunday in March at 3:00 a.m. In 2026, it is March 29. The hands move forward one hour: after 2:59 it is 4:00. Sleep becomes an hour shorter, but sunset is pushed back.
Mechanical watches and older devices without the internet need to be translated manually, while modern smartphones and computers do it automatically.
