Officials in Russia-annexed Crimea say private clinics have stopped providing abortions

By DASHA LITVINOVA
Associated Press

TALLINN, Estonia (AP) — Russian-installed health officials in Crimea say private clinics on the Moscow-annexed peninsula have “voluntarily” stopped providing abortions, which means that the procedure is now only available there in state-run medical facilities. The move comes amid a wider effort in Russia to restrict abortion, still legal and widely available, as the country takes an increasingly conservative turn under President Vladimir Putin. Over his more than two decades in power, Putin has forged a powerful alliance with the Russian Orthodox Church and has put “traditional family values” at the heart of his policies. He also has sought to boost the country’s declining population.