Facing the constant threat of Russian airstrikes, authorities in the Kharkiv region of eastern Ukraine have begun building fortified underground schools that will allow children to safely return to in-person studies as Moscow’s invasion continues.
Schools in the region of about 2.5 million people, bordering Russia, were forced to operate online after the Kremlin raid in February 2022.
Kharkiv is frequently targeted by Russian missiles, drones and artillery, with the governor reporting on Thursday that settlements in three different districts had been hit in the previous 24 hours.
Two schools are currently under construction, each of which can accommodate up to 500 people, which will be able to withstand direct attacks, said chief regional architect Anton Korotovskykh.
“These facilities will be equipped with everything necessary for the learning process,” he said in an interview with Reuters.
Further construction is expected by the end of next year, Korotovskykh said, adding that 817 educational facilities in the Kharkiv region were damaged or ruined during the Russian invasion.
On a recent morning, workers welded layers of steel reinforcement and poured concrete to the sound of air-raid sirens that sounded regularly.
The spaces will be equipped with fully functional ventilation, plumbing and heating systems, said Serhiy Petrulyanis, whose construction company is building one of the schools.
“That is, people will be able to stay here for more than a day,” he said.
Ukrainians are now bracing for another winter of likely Russian airstrikes on critical infrastructure, which caused widespread blackouts across the country last year.
Source: Terra
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