Of the 244 educational institutions damaged by Russia at the start of its full-scale invasion in Kyiv Oblast, 198 have been fully or partially restored, regional Governor Ruslan Kravchenko announced on Feb. 18.
A total of 122 schools and 71 kindergartens have been restored in communities around the capital city, including in Bucha, Irpin, Borodianka, and Brovary, with plans ongoing to rebuild a further 15 kindergartens and 28 schools in the area.
Kravchenko noted that the majority of the restored facilities are more than 80% complete. Included in the restoration work is the installation of modular shelters to protect against air raids, with over 1,200 shelters having been equipped in schools and kindergartens thus far.
In the first few months immediately following Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Russia destroyed schools, kindergartens, and vocational institutes in Kyiv Oblast as it attempted to capture the Ukrainian capital.
The communities surrounding Kyiv were subject to deplorable conditions at the hands of Russian forces.
In Bucha, a small city near Kyiv, mass graves were discovered, and thousands of war crimes were documented, including the murder of hundreds of civilians. Similar conditions were seen in Irpin and areas directly surrounding the capital, before Kyiv Oblast was fully liberated in April 2022.
The work to restore the education institutions was financed through various means, including European aid and through support of charitable organization, according to Kravchenko.
The Kyiv Independent news desk
(Updated: )
