Four New Shelters Opened in Ukrainian Schools with Support from Lithuania

Modern radiation-protection shelters have been opened and are already operational in four Ukrainian schools, made possible by more than €5 million in support from the Government of Lithuania. The new safe spaces were built in educational institutions in the Sumy, Zaporizhzhia, Zhytomyr, and Dnipropetrovsk regions. Funding was provided through the state fundraising platform UNITED24.

Thanks to the new shelters, more than 1,000 children have returned to safe, high-quality in-person learning.

“Ensuring the safety of everyone involved in the educational process remains a key priority for the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine. The availability of protected spaces determines whether children can learn in person, interact with their peers, and continue their education despite the war. That is why the state is systematically investing in the recovery and modernization of educational infrastructure — from shelters to fully underground schools. With the support of our international partners, we are able to scale up these solutions and help children return to classrooms faster. I am grateful to 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.

The availability of reliable shelters remains a key condition for restoring access to education in Ukraine. The Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine continues the largest modernization of educational infrastructure in the country, having already financed the construction of underground schools totaling UAH 19.7 billion.

At the same time, the Ministry actively works with international donors to advance this priority. More than UAH 3.5 billion has been additionally mobilized for infrastructure projects — including the reconstruction of schools and the construction of safe spaces — through cooperation with the EU and the governments of Belgium, Sweden, Lithuania, Ireland, South Korea, and other partners.

The Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine is grateful to the Government of Lithuania and the Lithuanian Fund for the Development Cooperation and Humanitarian Aid for their consistent support of our national priority — restoring safe in-person learning for Ukrainian children.

Note: UNITED24 is a fundraising platform initiated by the President of Ukraine and the main gateway for collecting charitable donations in support of Ukraine.