Russia to offer free IVF to war widows and wives of disabled combat veterans

Russia's parliament is moving to expand fertility support for military families. Meduza reports that the State Duma unanimously passed a bill adding assisted reproductive technologies, including in vitro fertilization, to the free medical care available to the wives of disabled combat veterans and to war widows who have not remarried within five years of a service member's death. The measure amends the country's veterans law, though it stops short of covering surrogacy, and the collection and freezing of biological material would still come at the patient's own expense. Lawmakers framed the change as a response to a worsening demographic situation, arguing that many soldiers go off to fight while still young and are killed before having the chance to become fathers.

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