The first underground school in Sumy has begun operations, with hundreds of students returning to in-person learning in a facility designed to protect them from shelling, the Head of the Office of the President Andriy Yermak announced on Telegram.
"It is modern and safe, with comfortable classrooms and spacious areas. Here, children can learn, communicate, and feel safe. Now, hundreds of students will return to in-person learning, where you can hear children's laughter and feel a sense of unity and true school spirit," Yermak said.
The facility is part of a broader national program to restore education in wartime conditions. According to Yermak, over 170 similar facilities are currently being implemented across Ukraine, primarily in frontline and border areas.
Five underground schools have been built in three communities in the Sumy region to date. Another eight schools are planned for five communities in the area: seven will open by the end of 2025, with one more scheduled for 2026.
"In two years, the state has invested more than 13 billion hryvnias ( $361 mn) in the creation of safe schools," the Head of the Office of the President said.
Yermak noted that Sumy region has repeatedly been targeted by attacks, with schools destroyed and children injured.
"Constant shelling, threats, sirens — all of this has become everyday life for frontline communities," he said. "Where the enemy tries to destroy the future, we are building it again."
The announcement follows a statement by former Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal in May, who said four underground schools were planned for Sumy city and 11 for the broader Sumy Oblast.
