In Russia, more than 7,000 schoolgirls and college students received pregnancy benefits
More than 7,000 schoolgirls and college students in Russia have already received regional pregnancy benefits. These programs began to be implemented following calls by Russian authorities to encourage young women to have children.
According to estimates by the publication “Verstka,” as of 2025, these payments have become available in at least 37 regions. At the same time, about one-third of these regions have not yet released data on the number of benefits granted.
The Stavropol Krai issued the most payments—720. In the Kemerovo Oblast, 704 such payments were granted, and in the Nizhny Novgorod Oblast, 646. Residents of St. Petersburg received another 346 payments.
Eligibility requirements vary by region. In seven regions, schoolgirls are explicitly listed among the recipients, while in another 21 regions, schoolgirls are not excluded from the list of potential recipients.
However, the first portion of the benefit can only be received after reaching a certain stage of pregnancy—typically after the 12th week, when the period during which termination of pregnancy is permitted expires.
The second payment is scheduled to be made after the child’s birth and registration with the Civil Registry Office. In other words, receiving this payment is effectively contingent on the woman not abandoning her newborn at the maternity hospital.
Russian dictator Vladimir Putin has not yet decided whether to attend the G20 summit and, accordingly, whether to meet with Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
As a reminder, Zelenskyy effectively proposed to the Kremlin leader that they hold a face-to-face meeting specifically during the G20 summit in December 2026.
