Altai Republics Leader Orders Final Abortion Clinic to Surrender License Amid Population Crisis

The sole private hospital providing abortion services in Siberia’s Altai Republic is required to surrender its license by the end of 2025, as stated by regional leader Andrei Turchak on Tuesday. This decision comes amid state initiatives aimed at addressing a significant drop in birth rates throughout Russia.

Turchak shared on Telegram that «eight out of nine private clinics in the Altai Republic have voluntarily stopped offering abortion services.»

He added, «The owners of Evromedtsentr still have ample time to follow in their colleagues’ footsteps and relinquish their abortion license before the year concludes.»

Turchak did not specify any potential repercussions for the clinic should it choose to ignore his directives.

While abortion remains legal in Russia, Altai is one of over twenty regions where new legislation prohibits the «coercion» of pregnant women into having abortions.

According to the acting regional health minister, state hospitals in Altai have instituted a mandatory counseling process prior to abortions, which he presented to Turchak during a government meeting on Tuesday.

On Monday, President Vladimir Putin pointed out Altai as one of the regions where the population shows a greater inclination to have children.

Currently, Russia is dealing with a declining birth rate, a natural population decrease, and increasing male mortality. In 2024, the birth rate was 1.22 million, only marginally above the historic low of 1.21 million recorded in 1999.

To tackle the demographic crisis, the government has employed various strategies, such as enhancing financial aid for families with children, imposing abortion restrictions, and advocating «traditional values» among the youth. Nevertheless, these measures have yet to yield any indication of reversing the declining trend.