The director of a private reproductive technology centre in Kyiv has been notified that he is suspected of recruiting a woman for the purpose of exploitation in connection with a case involving a surrogacy programme for a foreign couple. According to the Office of the Prosecutor General, the suspect was detained whilst travelling towards the state border, and the court ordered him to be remanded in custody, with the option of bail.
Briefly about the main points
- The director of a private reproductive technology centre in Kyiv has been placed under suspicion.
- Investigators believe that the woman was lured in by taking advantage of her difficult financial situation.
- It is alleged that fines and restrictions on leaving Ukraine were concealed from her.
- According to the investigation, the programme participants did not undergo the necessary medical examinations.
- The court authorised bail of almost 15 million hryvnias as an alternative to detention.
What information, according to the investigation, was withheld from the woman?
Investigators claim that the scheme was organised in November 2025 by the director of the medical centre, the programme coordinator and medical staff. A Ukrainian woman who was unemployed and in financial difficulty was recruited to take part.
According to the police, the woman was not made aware of the terms of the contract, in particular the potential fines of up to 30,000 dollars, the ban on leaving Ukraine without her foreign spouse’s permission, and other restrictions. The investigators believe that they placed her in a position of dependency.
Pros. data According to the investigation, a woman’s reproductive capacity was exploited to make a profit from foreign spouses. The allegations relate to Part 2 of Article 149 of the Criminal Code — the recruitment of a person for the purpose of exploitation, committed by means of deception and the exploitation of a vulnerable situation, as part of a premeditated conspiracy by a group of individuals.
Medical examinations of participants and a precautionary measure against the director
The investigation found that the foreign couple had been admitted to the assisted reproductive technology programme without undergoing the mandatory medical examination. According to the investigation, the surrogate mother had also not undergone the required medical examination. Furthermore, the surrogacy agreement had not been notarised.
Following the embryo transfer, the woman became pregnant with twins. The babies were born prematurely and subsequently died in hospital.
The director of the medical centre was detained whilst travelling towards Ukraine’s state border. At the request of the public prosecutor’s office, the court ordered him to be remanded in custody, whilst allowing him to post bail of nearly 15 million hryvnias as an alternative.
Under the Constitution, a suspect is presumed innocent until proven guilty by a court of law.
