Russian troops 'able to freeze sperm'

Online Desk

Russian soldiers called up to fight in Ukraine will be able to store their frozen sperm in a cryobank for free.

Union of Lawyers head Igor Trunov told Russian state news agency Tass the health ministry had responded to his appeal for a free cryobank, and changes to compulsory medical insurance, reports BBC.

Trunov announced on Twitter that his union was applying on behalf of several couples where the husband had been called up to take part in the special military operation (SVO) - the term used by Russia for its war in Ukraine.

Russian health ministry is yet to comment on Trunov's remarks. But the lawyer told Tass it had "determined the possibility of financial support from the federal budget for free conservation and storage of germ cells (spermatozoa) for citizens mobilised to take part in the SVO for 2022-2024".

Moscow mobilised 300,000 reservists after a string of setbacks in Ukraine. Men then began approaching clinics to have their sperm frozen, reports said.

Russians rarely use the clinics "just in case" something went wrong, Fontanka reported, and they had never considered freezing their biomaterial before.

This solution meant that if a man died - or lost the ability to reproduce in the war, then he would still be able to have children.

Bd-pratidin English/Golam Rosul