The Dnipro Court of Appeals has officially closed the proceedings in the case regarding the ownership of frozen embryos, which Oleksandr Kuzmenko’s widow and his parents had been fighting for for a long time. During the court hearing, the plaintiffs unexpectedly withdrew their claims. Thus, all six embryos remain in the possession of Anastasia Kuzmenko, effectively ending the long-standing legal conflict.
The court debates, which were supposed to be the final stage before the announcement of the decision, did not take place due to the statement of the deceased man’s parents to withdraw the claim. Earlier, in September 2025, the court of first instance made an unprecedented decision to divide the embryos equally between the wife and parents of Oleksandr Kuzmenko. Then the judge ordered the woman to transfer three of the six embryos — two girls and a boy — to her in-laws.
“In the appeals court, we did not hear a single legitimate argument from the plaintiffs, only filth and attempts to discredit me before the court and society,” Anastasia Kuzmenko emphasized.
The widow also noted that, in her opinion, the plaintiffs decided to abandon the lawsuit only when the prospect of losing the case on appeal became obvious. The woman previously claimed systematic pressure from the deceased husband’s parents, who demanded that she immediately give birth to a child and renounce her inheritance.
“They hope that Anastasia will still continue treatment, as she repeatedly noted during the hearings, and give birth to a child,” said the parents’ lawyer, Oleksandr Movchan.
The representative of the plaintiffs explained his clients’ decision by personal circumstances and the desire to preserve the opportunity to participate in the upbringing of future grandchildren. According to the lawyer, Oleksandr’s parents are ready to provide financial and organizational assistance to Anastasia if she decides to use the embryos to continue treatment.
This case has caused significant public resonance due to the complexity of the ethical and legal aspects of disposing of reproductive material after the death of one of the spouses. The closure of the proceedings at the initiative of the plaintiffs creates an important precedent in the protection of women’s rights to independently make decisions regarding the use of cryopreserved embryos.
Currently, Anastasia Kuzmenko has the full legal right to dispose of biological material at her own discretion.
