Children go underground as Ukraine starts new school year under constant Russian fire
Ukrainian children returned to school on September 1, but repeated air raid alerts in Kyiv and other cities have forced students into shelters for hours. In Kharkiv, Lyceum No. 24 has established a new underground facility capable of accommodating 1,000 children to protect them from Russian bombs. While students in both Russia and Ukraine resumed studies, Kyiv pupils spent their first day sheltering from raids following overnight missile strikes. President Zelensky has urged international partners to respond more actively to these attacks.
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- ✓ Ukrainian schools opened for the new academic year on September 1.
- ✓ Air raid alerts in Kyiv and other cities sent children into shelters for hours.
- ✓ Kharkiv Lyceum No. 24 has an underground school ready for 1,000 children.
What changed
New reports detail a 1,000-student underground facility at Kharkiv Lyceum No. 24 and confirm classes were disrupted by alerts on September 1.
Live updates
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Ukrainian Students Start School Year in Underground Shelters Amid Russian Strikes
Ukrainian children returned to school on September 1, but repeated air raid alerts in Kyiv and other cities have forced students into shelters for hours. In Kharkiv, Lyceum No. 24 has established a new underground facility capable of accommodating 1,000 children to protect them from Russian bombs. While students in both Russia and Ukraine resumed studies, Kyiv pupils spent their first day sheltering from raids following overnight missile strikes. President Zelensky has urged international partners to respond more actively to these attacks.
Why it matters
The school year begins as Ukraine faces five years of war. The use of shelters as classrooms highlights the systemic risk to civilian infrastructure and children.
What is confirmed
- Ukrainian schools opened for the new academic year on September 1.
- Air raid alerts in Kyiv and other cities sent children into shelters for hours.
- Kharkiv Lyceum No. 24 has an underground school ready for 1,000 children.
Still unconfirmed
- A Russian general accused of ordering a missile strike on a Kyiv children's hospital was shot in northwestern Russia on Thursday.
- US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner plan to visit Moscow and Kyiv with a proposal to end the war.
What to watch next
- Results of the planned diplomatic visit by Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner to Kyiv and Moscow.
- Official confirmation regarding the status of the Russian general accused of targeting the Kyiv children's hospital.
confidence 90%Sources used for this update (5)
- www.nbcnews.com — Inside Ukraine’s underground school shielding children from Russian bombs
- www.cnn.com — Russian general accused of masterminding the attack against Kyiv’s children’s hospital injured in assassination attempt
- www.cnn.com — Trump envoys Witkoff and Kushner plan to visit Moscow and Kyiv in their first trip to Ukraine
- baynews9.com — Hernando County School District celebrating grand opening of new joint facility for schools
- www.hrw.org — Russian Attacks Disrupt New School Year in Ukraine
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Ukrainian students return to school amidst Russian air raids
Ukrainian children began the new school year attending classes in underground shelters due to constant Russian fire. In Kyiv, air raid sirens replaced traditional school bells on the first day of term following overnight missile strikes. President Zelensky visited a school in the Kyiv region and criticized international partners for being "on holiday" while urging them to respond more actively to the ongoing attacks. While pupils in both Russia and Ukraine returned to their studies, students in Kyiv spent their first day sheltering from raids.
Why it matters
The start of the school year, known as Knowledge Day, occurs during an ongoing conflict that has forced the education system to adapt to aerial threats. Using bomb shelters as classrooms is a necessity for students in high-risk areas. This transition highlights the lack of normalcy for children living under frequent missile strikes.
What is confirmed
- Ukrainian children are attending school in underground bomb shelters.
- Air raid alerts interrupted the first day of school in Kyiv.
- Russian missile strikes occurred overnight before the start of the school term.
- President Zelensky visited a school in the Kyiv region.
What to watch next
- International partner responses to Zelensky's request for more active support
- Reports of casualties or damage to educational facilities from recent strikes
confidence 100%Sources used for this update (13)
- CNN — Children go underground as Ukraine starts new school year under constant Russian fire
- The New York Times — These Ukrainian Children Go to School Underground. They’re the Lucky Ones.
- AP News — Air raid alert shatters first day of school in Kyiv after overnight Russian missile strikes
- Yahoo — Zelensky criticizes international partners for being 'on holiday'
- Bluefield Daily Telegraph — Russia Ukraine War Knowledge Day
- The Kyiv Independent — As Ukrainian schools open, students hear air raid sirens instead of the first bell
- daytondailynews.com — APTOPIX Russia Ukraine War
- care.org — Students in Ukraine head back to school, but not back to normal
- AP News — Pupils return to school in Russia and Ukraine as Kyiv students shelter from air raids, in photos
- Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty — Russian Strikes Pound Kyiv Region As Ukrainian Children Head Back To School
- Ukrinform — Zelensky visits school in Kyiv region, urges partners to respond more actively to Russian attacks
- Yahoo — Back to school in bomb shelters: Ukrainian children return to class
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