Ukraine has already put into operation over 100 underground schools, with another 113 such educational institutions currently being built in various regions of the country. This was reported by the Minister of Education and Science, Oksen Lisovyi.
This is reported by Kyiv24
Underground schools for children’s safety
According to the minister, the main goal of building underground schools is to ensure the safety and continuity of the educational process for children, especially in frontline areas. Lisovyi emphasized that over 60% of the facilities currently under construction are planned to be completed by the start of the new school year on September 1.
“We are currently building 113 schools, they are at different stages of readiness, most of them, over 60%, will be ready by September 1,” said Lisovyi.
The minister also highlighted that the underground schools are designed for approximately 100,000 students. Priority is given to regions where there is the greatest threat of missile and artillery shelling.
Funding and uniqueness of the project
The construction of underground schools is financed through a state subsidy. In 2026, 5 billion hryvnias have been allocated for these needs, while in the previous year this amount was 11 billion, and earlier it was about 3 billion. In total, over 20 billion hryvnias have already been invested in underground educational institutions.
The cost of one underground school ranges from 80 to 120 million hryvnias depending on the capacity and number of students. Lisovyi characterized these projects as the most expensive infrastructure investments in Ukrainian education, emphasizing their uniqueness on a global scale: no other country experiencing war has created such conditions for teaching children underground.
Underground schools are built according to state safety standards (DSTU), which guarantees a full-fledged and safe learning environment for children even during active hostilities. In addition to schools, Ukraine is also constructing 18 underground kindergartens.
The decision to build underground schools is made based on safety criteria, the number of students, co-financing conditions with communities, and in agreement with regional military administrations and the Ministry of Education and Science.