Ukraine has restricted access by outsiders to shelters in schools and kindergartens

Ukraine has changed the rules for using shelters in educational institutions. During in-person instruction, school shelters will be designated primarily for students and teachers, while shelters in preschools will be used exclusively to protect children and staff. At the same time, under certain conditions, local authorities may allow both participants in the educational process and other citizens to be present in school shelters at the same time.

According to the resolution, shelters in preschool institutions will be used exclusively to protect those involved in the educational process—children and staff.

 

In schools during in-person instruction, shelters will also be designated primarily for students and teachers.

However, based on a decision by local executive authorities or local self-government bodies, both participants in the educational process and members of other segments of the population may be present in a school shelter at the same time.

The procedure for such use must be determined by the entity responsible for the shelter—the founder or head of the respective educational institution.

Before making a decision on the shared use of a school shelter, it is necessary to assess whether it is possible to ensure the safety of students, school staff, and other citizens while they are inside.

In particular, the following must be provided for:

• Zoning of the premises with a clear designation of areas for students and other citizens.
• A procedure for security guards, technical staff, or other school personnel to escort outsiders to the shelter at night, on weekends, and on holidays.
• Restrictions on access to other premises and the school grounds, except for the shelter itself and the route leading to it.
• Installation of signs, floor plans, and rules of conduct on the facility’s grounds and regarding the use of its property, taking into account the needs of people with disabilities and individuals with limited mobility.
• Publication of information about shelters to which outsiders may be admitted, as well as the rules for using them.

Information about such shelters must be published on the official websites of the educational institutions’ governing bodies or the institutions themselves. In doing so, consideration will be given to available space and the times when the shelters can be used to protect other citizens.

If local authorities decide to allow students and other citizens to stay in the school shelter at the same time, the school administration must ensure the children’s safety.

Throughout the entire time students are in the shelter, teaching staff, a psychologist, and a police officer or security guard—if available—must be present.

In addition, separate areas must be designated for students and other citizens, and, if possible, separate rooms should be allocated for them. The routes taken by these groups to and from the shelter should intersect as little as possible.

Separate restrooms must also be available for those involved in the educational process.

A separate room or a secluded area of the premises is provided for children with special educational needs. There, they will be able to relax and receive the necessary psychological, educational, and remedial-developmental services.

Thus, the new rules prioritize the protection of students and staff at educational institutions and establish the conditions under which school shelters may be used simultaneously by other citizens.

This is stipulated in Resolution No. 1288 of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine dated October 15, 2026, which amends the rules for the use of civil defense shelters.

As a reminder, Ukrzaliznytsia has set up 33 mobile shelters at railway facilities in Kyiv and the Kyiv region. They are designed to protect people during air threats.

The Education Department of the Dnipro District State Administration in Kyiv has commissioned Smart Universal Group LLC to complete the construction of a school shelter at 11 Myru Avenue. The value of the new contract is 129.51 million hryvnias, and the total cost of the facility, designed to accommodate 741 people, will reach approximately 289.89 million hryvnias.