Ukraine Strikes Russian Soil While Children Study in Underground Bunkers
Paul Riverbank, 2/9/2025Ukrainian children study in underground bunkers as war disrupts education for millions.
As Ukraine launches a bold new offensive into Russia's Kursk region — marking an aggressive shift in military strategy — the true cost of this prolonged conflict continues to reverberate through Ukrainian society, particularly in its classrooms and communities.
The recent military escalation, announced by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on February 7, claimed "a significant number" of Russian casualties and the destruction of hundreds of Russian units. This offensive comes at a critical juncture, as Russian forces continue their relentless push to capture strategic positions in Pokrovsk and Chasiv Yar — battles that could reshape the conflict's trajectory.
Yet beneath these headline-grabbing military maneuvers, a more insidious war wages on against Ukraine's future — its children's education.
In Balakliya, near the front line, students huddle in an underground classroom dubbed "the beehive" — a stark reminder of education's new reality in Ukraine. "When they come, they often ask me, 'Can we see our former classroom?'" shares Inna Mandryka, a deputy principal, her words reflecting a poignant longing for normalcy among her students.
The war's impact on education has reached staggering proportions, affecting 3.7 million schoolchildren. The disruption manifests in various ways — from air raid alerts interrupting lessons to the emergence of a complex hybrid learning system where students alternate between online and underground classes.
Meanwhile, the conflict's brutality continues to claim lives in shocking ways. The recent death of Russian Captain Konstantin Nagaiko — killed in a mysterious explosion — brings a cruel irony to light. Nagaiko had commanded a unit responsible for a devastating missile strike that killed 59 civilians at a memorial service in Groza village, including a 6-year-old boy. As Ukraine's military intelligence stated, "There will be fair retribution for every war crime against the Ukrainian people."
The war's psychological toll weighs heavily on Ukraine's youth. UNICEF's education chief in Ukraine, Emmanuelle Abrioux, notes, "It makes it very difficult for children to feel connected" — a sentiment echoed in countless stories of displaced families and disrupted childhoods.
In occupied territories, the situation grows even more dire. Parents like Hanna from Melitopol must hide their children's participation in Ukrainian online schools. "I quickly shouted at him, 'Quiet! It's not allowed to speak of this here,'" she recounts, describing a moment when her son innocently mentioned Ukrainian authors in a playground conversation.
As both sides pursue increasingly risky tactics ahead of potential cease-fire negotiations — prompted by U.S. President Donald Trump's pressure on both Moscow and Kyiv — the human cost continues to mount. The war has evolved beyond a territorial conflict into an assault on Ukraine's cultural continuity and its children's future.
The resilience of Ukrainian educators and students shines through these dark times, yet the long-term implications of this educational disruption remain a looming concern. As one displaced mother, Svitlana Stepurenko, simply states, "Even if it is nice here, we miss home and want to go back to our school very much" — a sentiment that encapsulates the profound yearning for normalcy in a nation under siege.
