Vologda’s governor said his people were ‘dying out.’ In one year, he cut abortions by 82 percent, sending women fleeing to neighboring regions for a procedure that remains legal in Russia.

Abortion remains legal in Russia, but access to the procedure has become almost impossible for women in at least one region: Vologda. Governor Georgy Filimonov treats this fact as his administration’s crowning achievement — a feat he has managed through financial incentives, administrative pressure, and deliberate obstruction. The numbers tell the story: Abortions in the region fell 81.6 percent last year. The independent outlet Glasnaya Media documented the crackdown in a recent report. Medu...