Ukrainian Students Begin School Year Amid Russian Aerial Attacks

Volodymyr Zelensky visited a Kyiv school shelter on September 1, 2026, to mark the start of the academic year. The day was characterized by frequent air raid alerts and intense aerial attacks by Russian forces using high-speed ballistic missiles and jet-powered Shahed drones, forcing students into basements.

Education Minister Andrii Butenko reported that nearly one-third of the country's general secondary schools cannot operate fully in person, relying instead on remote or blended formats. In Kyiv, 318 education facilities have been damaged. Some institutions, including the Ukrainian Global School, have moved classes permanently to basements to ensure learning continues during sirens.

The conflict has caused a sharp decline in the student population. The number of first-graders nationwide dropped from 400,000 in 2021 to approximately 243,398. The Japan Committee for UNICEF reported that more than 1.8 million Ukrainian children are now living abroad as families flee the violence. During his visit, Zelensky called the Russian attacks "despicable," stating that "even among enemies, there is usually an understanding that children are children."