Sovermed, a large clinic in Kirov, announced they would stop administering medication abortions from November 11, explaining that they wanted to "do their part" in "preserving traditional family values" after Putin declared 2024 the "Year of the Family." The clinic’s management also encouraged other institutions to follow their example.
Governor Alexander Sokolov praised the clinic’s head, Susanna Anikitina-Yungblud, for her "civic stance" and mentioned that the United Russia faction in the Kirov Oblast Duma is working on a bill "along these lines." Sokolov didn’t specify whether the bill would target only medication abortions or which clinics it would affect.
In September, the Russian Orthodox Church said that more than 500 private clinics across Russia had stopped performing abortions.
