There are more than 100 underground schools in operation in Ukraine, and another 131 are under construction
There are already more than 100 underground schools operating in Ukraine, which make it possible to conduct the educational process in full. At the same time, another 131 shelters are currently under construction.
According to him, 82% of students can currently be accommodated in various types of shelters.
These range from the simplest protective structures to large facilities equipped to accommodate children during air raid alerts.
“Currently, 82% of students—when we’re talking about schools—can be accommodated in various types of shelters. These shelters vary in design; sometimes they are the simplest shelters, and sometimes they are large open spaces,” the minister noted.
According to the head of the Ministry of Education and Science, construction is currently underway on 131 protective facilities designed to ensure that the educational process can continue uninterrupted even in the face of security threats.
Of these, 18 facilities are intended for kindergartens.
The government has allocated 6 billion hryvnias for the development of protective infrastructure at educational institutions in 2026.
Thus, the new shelters are intended not only to protect children during air raid alerts but also to create conditions for continuing education without prolonged interruptions due to Russian attacks.
Andriy Butenko emphasized that even shelters that have already been set up require further repairs, modernization, and improvements.
According to him, local communities and the central government must take into account the new challenges arising from Russian shelling and adapt the education system accordingly.
“We must be prepared for various challenges… we must adapt—and despite all the threats, prepare our children for their future lives,” the minister stressed.
This was announced by Minister of Education and Science Andriy Butenko during a televised marathon.
On September 1, the city’s tenth underground school opened in the Nemyshlyanskyi district of Kharkiv. It is designed to accommodate 2,700 students from 11 schools in the district.
In Zaporizhzhia, the twelfth underground school has opened—a modern space for safe in-person learning based at Gymnasium No. 84. The school was built according to the principles of inclusivity and accessibility, and the spacious classrooms are equipped with all the necessary equipment and furniture.
As a reminder, construction of another “underground school” began in the Zaporizhzhia region in October. This will be the eighth educational facility of this type.
