Russian soldiers taking part in the war on Ukraine will be eligible for free sperm freezing and storage in cryobanks, according to Russia’s state news agency Tass, citing a lawyers union.
“The families of those called up for military service as part of the partial mobilization will receive free access to fertility treatment and the storage of biomaterial in a cryobank,” said Igor Trunov, the president of the Russian Union of Lawyers, which represents several couples, according to Tass.
The Russian health ministry responded to a request for the creation of “a free cryobank of genetic material” and amendments to the mandatory health insurance system to allocate a free fertility treatment quota for Russian citizens taking part in what Moscow calls its “special military operation,” according to Trunov.
“The RF Ministry of Health has decided it is possible to use money from the federal budget to fund the fee-free conservation and storage of sex cells (sperm) for citizens mobilized into the Special Military Operation, in 2022-2024,” he said, per Tass.
“Any subsequent free use of conserved genetic material in assisted reproductive technology is governed by the law, provided it is indicated as a part of [the individual’s] mandatory health insurance package,” he added.
