Soldiers can now store samples for free, and, if they die, partners can access the sperm for up to three years—provided the soldier gave written consent ahead of time, per the BBC. That policy grew out of earlier controversial rules that required destruction of samples upon a soldier's death, a stance challenged by widows like Katerina Malyshko, who had to go to court to gain access to embryos previously created while her husband was alive, as well as his sperm. Doctors say war stress is hammering fertility and delaying family plans, even as Ukraine loses many of its youngest men to the war, as well as millions of women who've fled abroad, per the BBC.
Author: Jenn Gidman with Newser.AI
Published at: 2026-02-22 21:45:00
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