Police in Ukraine say they uncovered illegal surrogacy activity following the deaths of two newborns who were being carried by a surrogate for a foreign couple.

Key Takeaways:

• Following the deaths of twins born prematurely to a surrogate in Ukraine, police uncovered an illegal surrogacy scheme.

• A woman who was unemployed and facing financial hardship was recruited to act as a surrogate to a foreign couple.

• In addition to skipping the required medical evaluations for both the foreign couple and the Ukrainian surrogate, the medical center failed to inform the surrogate of the restrictions that would be imposed on her.

• The medical center director was detained by police who are investigating additional individuals who may have been involved.

The Details:

Ukraine is a global hotspot for legal commercial surrogacy, ranking second behind the United States — and wartime has only served to increase the number of Ukrainian women being paid for the use of their bodies. But after two newborns recently died, police say they have uncovered an illegal surrogacy scheme.

According to reports, the head of a private medical center, along with the program curator and medical staff, recruited a Ukrainian woman to act as a surrogate for a foreign couple. The woman is said to have been unemployed and facing financial struggles when she was approached to act as a paid surrogate.

Investigators believe the medical center staff took advantage of the woman's situation. Surrogates are paid about $400 a month in Ukraine, with total compensation ranging from $15,000 to $32,200, according to the IVF agency Militta.

The surrogate became pregnant with twins who were born prematurely and died in the hospital.

An investigation revealed that the surrogacy contract was not notarized, the foreign couple never underwent the mandatory medical examination, and the surrogate also failed to undergo a medical examination. In addition, the surrogate was never fully informed of the regulations that would be placed on her. She was not told that she was prohibited from leaving Ukraine without the permission of the intended parents or that she could face a penalty of up to $30,000 (USD).

"Information regarding contractual penalties and significant restrictions on her freedom of movement was withheld from her," according to a Telegram post from the National Police of Ukraine.

Police detained the center director, who was found traveling toward the Ukraine border, but it is unclear if he was intending to leave the country. The court ordered him to be held and set his bail at 15 million hryvnia or $336,211 (USD). He could face up to 12 years in prison.

The police are still investigating the roles of the program curator and medical staff, as well as anyone else who may have been involved, but they believe the surrogate was exploited for commercial purposes.

Why It Matters:

Surrogacy treats women and children as commodities, allowing women's bodies to be rented and controlled and allowing children to be treated as products that adults feel entitled to have.

Surrogates have a higher risk of complications than biological mothers, including severe postpartum hemorrhage and pre-eclampsia; the babies carried by surrogates are at greater risk of premature birth. Surrogacy carries an overall three times higher rate of severe illness compared to natural pregnancy.

United Nations (UN) Special Rapporteur Reem Alsalem has condemned surrogacy as “violence” targeting women and turning their bodies into profit-generating machines. Surrogates have reported feeling like "an oven."

“Surrogacy is the result of commodification and commercialization of women’s reproductive capacities, and it preys on and exploits women, particularly those from marginalized and impoverished backgrounds,” said Alsalem.