Modern radiation-protected shelters are already operational in four Ukrainian schools, created with over €5 million in support from the Government of Lithuania. These new safe spaces have been built in educational institutions in Sumy, Zaporizhzhia, Zhytomyr, and Dnipropetrovsk regions, with funding provided through the state fundraising platform UNITED24.
Thanks to the new shelters, more than 1,000 children have returned to high-quality and safe in-person learning.
“Ensuring the safety of all participants in the educational process remains a top priority for the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine. The availability of protected spaces determines the ability to study in-person, interact with peers, and continue learning despite the war. Therefore, the state systematically invests in the restoration and modernization of educational infrastructure—from shelters to full underground schools. With the support of international partners, we can scale these solutions and return children to classrooms faster. I thank the Government of Lithuania for this partnership and support, which helps Ukrainian children get back to their desks,” said Ukraine’s Minister of Education and Science, Oksen Lisovyi.
Reliable shelters remain a key condition for restoring access to education in Ukraine. The Ministry of Education and Science continues the largest-scale modernization of educational infrastructure, funding the construction of underground schools with a total investment of UAH 19.7 billion.
At the same time, to implement this priority, the Ministry actively coordinates efforts with international donors. More than UAH 3.5 billion has been mobilized for infrastructure projects, including school reconstruction and the creation of safe spaces, through cooperation with the EU and the governments of Belgium, Sweden, Lithuania, Ireland, South Korea, and other countries.
The Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine expresses gratitude to the Government of Lithuania and the Lithuanian Fund for Development Cooperation and Humanitarian Aid for their consistent support of Ukraine’s priority—restoring safe in-person education for Ukrainian children.
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UNITED24 is a fundraising platform initiated by the President of Ukraine and serves as the main channel for collecting donations in support of Ukraine.
