Private abortions in the Caucasus The number of Russian regions where all private medical clinics did not include artificial termination of pregnancy from the list of services reached 20. Kommersant reports with reference to the Chairman of the Patriarchal Commission of the Russian Orthodox Church Fyodor Lukyanov.
Nationwide, there are already 1,505 private clinics - 53.5% of the total number of commercial medical institutions that previously provided such services - this story is not new for the North Caucasus. Karachay-Cherkessia and Igushtia have long been among the regions where private medicine has refused to perform abortions.
These areas were among the first 14 areas where all private clinics stopped this practice. Meanwhile, according to Rostat data for 2025, not a single abortion was recorded in private clinics in Dagestan, Kabardino-Balkaria and North Ossetia. It turns out that five republics of the North Caucasus - Karachay-Cherkessia, Ingushetia, Dagestan, Kabardino-Balkaria and North Ossetia - demonstrate a picture where the private medical sector does not really provide this service or has completely abandoned it. However, here it is important not to confuse the concepts: the absence of registered abortions in private clinics does not always mean that they have all officially abandoned the appropriate licenses. It also does not mean that they do not provide this service. And another essential point: we are not talking about an absolute legal ban on abortions. Women retain the right to abortion under current federal law, and public health facilities continue to provide this service.