Russian Lawyers Union: draftees to be granted sperm freezing free of charge before being sent to front lines

The families of Russian men mobilised for the Ukraine War will receive a quota to store semen in a sperm bank and to cure sterility free of charge, TASS says, citing a letter Igor Trunov, the leader of Russia’s Lawyers Union, received from the country’s Ministry of Healthcare.

Such perks have not been officially announced by the ministry. Trunov addressed Mikhail Mishustin, Russia’s PM, suggesting that a “cryobank of genetic material” be created to provide services to people mobilised for the Ukraine War free of charge.

“The Ministry of Healthcare has considered the potential financial support from the federal budget for free conservation and storage of germ cells for draftees used in the special military operation in 2022-2024,” the agency cites the response.

Trunov has also noted that his organisation would request such benefits for some of the couples it is working with where the men had been mobilised for the war.

Russia’s authorities announced that benefits available to contracted soldiers would be applied to draftees soon after mobilisation had been declared. “Those are medical and tax benefits, as well as educational ones, and bonus to retirement money, and many other things,” said Valentina Matviyenko, the Chairwoman of Russia’s upper chamber.

Vladimir Putin signed a law granting veteran status to participants of the Ukraine War in March. This law provided all sorts of benefits to servicemen participating in Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, such as monthly wages and tax benefits, free train tickets, and other. Russia’s president also signed a law introducing benefits for children of Russia’s servicemen in the Ukraine War applying for colleges.