Russian troops called up to wage war against Ukraine under Vladimir Putin’s “partial mobilization” order face likely death on the battlefield, but the government is apparently now offering them a consolation prize: the chance to store their sperm for free. In a stunning vote of confidence, the country’s health ministry has agreed to use funds from the federal budget to cover expenses for preserving their genetic material at a cryobank, according to Igor Trunov, the president of the Russian Union of Lawyers. Trunov, whose organization is representing several couples affected by the mobilization order, told Russia’s TASS news agency the offer is in effect from 2022-2024 for those called up to join the so-called “special military operation.”