The ongoing war in Ukraine is precipitating a catastrophic decline in birth rates, leaving thousands of families unable to conceive due to chronic stress, medical complications, and the loss of men on the front lines.
According to a report by CNN, prominent Ukrainian demographer Ella Libanova has characterized the current situation as a profound national crisis. She estimates that since the start of the full-scale invasion, the country has lost approximately 10 million people, including those killed in action, refugees abroad, and residents of occupied territories. "No country can exist without people," Libanova emphasized.
War-related stress is directly undermining the nation's reproductive health. Valeriy Zukin, director of a leading reproductive medicine clinic in Kyiv, noted a sharp increase in pregnancy complications and chromosomal abnormalities. Dr. Alla Baranenko further observed that the quality of egg and sperm samples among military personnel has deteriorated significantly compared to pre-war levels, while younger women are increasingly diagnosed with premature menopause.
Combat veteran Olena Bilozerska, who had postponed motherhood since the conflict began in 2014, saw her chances of natural conception drop to just 5% after years of service. Doctors managed to preserve only one embryo, which is now stored in a cryobank. "Soldiers live for today; they do not plan for the future," Bilozerska said, urging female service members to freeze their eggs in advance.
Parallel to the fertility decline, Ukraine is becoming a nation of widows and orphans. Due to the high average age of Ukrainian soldiers—approximately 43 years—most of those killed leave behind wives and children. The Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) estimates that between 100,000 and 140,000 Ukrainians have died since the invasion began, leaving 59,000 children without biological parents.
Support communities are now emerging to assist women who have lost their partners. Olena Biletska, a widow who had planned to have children before her husband was killed in action, now helps others navigate their grief. "The war took away the years when I could have had children," she said.