Kyiv – As the new school year began, the Ukrainian Global School announced that all classes will be held in its basement. The decision follows a surge of Russian air‑raid alerts that have sounded 60 times over the past few days, keeping the city under near‑constant threat.

Classes stay underground

Parents received a letter from the school stating that, during an air‑raid alert, students will already be in a safe location, eliminating the need to evacuate to separate shelters and resume lessons after long delays. The school framed the change as taking education “to a whole new level.”

Escalating attacks

According to a CNN tally, air‑raid sirens have sounded 60 times in Kyiv between midnight Thursday and noon Tuesday, lasting a total of about 47 hours. Local authorities report at least 53 deaths and more than 100 injuries in Kyiv and the surrounding region during that period.

Russia’s campaign has shifted from nighttime strikes to continuous day‑and‑night attacks, using newer jet‑powered drones that are faster and harder to intercept than earlier models.

Impact on students and families

Many children now attending school have never known a time of peace. Those entering eighth grade are the youngest Ukrainians to have experienced uninterrupted schooling, while younger students have only known classes amid conflict.

Kyiv officials urged parents to teach children how to respond during alerts, calling it a necessary part of preparing for the school year.

Presidential visit

President Volodymyr Zelensky visited a Kyiv school to mark the start of the academic year. Dressed in formal attire, he met students in a shelter after another air‑raid alarm sounded, condemning the Russian attacks and noting that “even among enemies, there is usually an understanding that children are children.”

Displacement and enrollment decline

UNICEF estimates more than 1.8 million Ukrainian children now live abroad, with many more displaced within the country. The Ministry of Education reported that 243,398 first‑graders began school on Tuesday, far fewer than the 400,000 who started in 2021 before the war.

One mother, Nadiia Andrianova, described the worsening security situation and her decision to relocate her nine‑year‑old daughter to western Ukraine after enduring frequent underground stays and nightly explosions.

Looking ahead

As the conflict enters its fifth school year, Ukrainian families continue to adapt, balancing the need for education with the realities of war. The move to underground classrooms reflects both resilience and the harsh reality that safety now dictates the daily rhythm of school life.

Original reporting: KTVZ (Central Oregon) — read the source article.