War-torn Ukraine has introduced a state-funded programme allowing serving soldiers to freeze their sperm, as the country grapples with a worsening demographic crisis intensified by Russia’s full-scale invasion.
Under the scheme, Ukrainian troops can store sperm free of charge, giving their partners the option of having children in the future if the soldiers are killed or if prolonged stress and injury affect their fertility.
Maxim, a 35-year-old National Guard soldier deployed near the eastern frontline, said he agreed to freeze his sperm during recent leave in Kyiv at his wife’s urging. Speaking by phone from his position, he said constant danger from drones and shelling meant no soldier could feel safe, even far from the front.
“Our men are dying. The Ukrainian gene pool is dying. This is about the survival of the nation,” he said, adding that stress and combat conditions can reduce reproductive health.
Private clinics first began offering fertility preservation to military personnel in 2022, shortly after Russia’s invasion. In 2023, Ukraine’s parliament stepped in to regulate the practice and provide public funding.
Lawmaker Oksana Dmitrieva, who helped draft the legislation, said the aim was to protect soldiers’ future family plans. “They are defending our future, but may lose their own,” she said.
Initial versions of the law sparked public anger after it emerged that stored sperm would be destroyed if a soldier died, preventing widows from using it. The legislation was later amended to allow samples to be preserved free of charge for up to three years after death, provided prior written consent exists.
The policy is also meant to counter a demographic decline that pre-dated the war but has sharply worsened as thousands of young men have been killed and millions of civilians, mostly women, have fled abroad. Many refugees remain outside Ukraine, citing insecurity and difficult living conditions.
Ukraine’s state-run Centre for Reproductive Medicine in Kyiv began enrolling soldiers in the programme in January. Although only a small number have joined so far, officials expect demand to grow as awareness spreads.
Clinic director Oksana Holikova said the war has severely affected reproductive health, with pregnancy rates falling sharply since the invasion. She said stress, depression and fear of missile attacks have led many couples to delay having children.
The programme has not been without legal complications. Katerina Malyshko, whose husband Vitaly was killed by a Russian guided bomb strike, was initially denied the right to use their frozen embryos. After months of legal struggle, a court eventually ruled in her favour.
“I felt joy and grief at the same time,” she said, describing the ruling as a way to honour her husband.
Lawmakers admit the law still needs refinement, with further amendments expected to be debated later this year.
On the frontline, Maxim said the biggest challenge is persuading men to take part. Many soldiers feel embarrassed discussing fertility, despite widespread psychological strain.
“We need to talk about this openly and explain why it matters,” he said. “Because tomorrow I could be gone, but my wife would still have the chance to carry on our family.”
With inputs from BBC