Ukraine’s ongoing energy crisis is forcing widespread changes to schooling, with authorities extending winter holidays and expanding distance education as power outages and heating disruptions continue amid Russian attacks.
The energy crisis and broader war with Russia has had a growing impact on children’s education across Ukraine. Rolling blackouts, heating shortages, and damaged infrastructure have disrupted classroom learning, pushing schools to rely more on remote education or prolonged closures to protect students and staff during winter conditions.
Education ombudswoman calls for remote work
Ukrainian Education Ombudswoman Nadiia Leshchyk urged school principals to allow teachers to work remotely in areas affected by the energy emergency. She called on school administrations to issue formal orders enabling distance work instead of requiring staff to remain in unheated buildings.
“Do not force teachers to work during holidays in cold classrooms,” Leshchyk said.
Winter break extended through February
Under the normal academic calendar, winter school holidays in Ukraine typically end in mid-January. This year, the government has allowed schools to extend the break or shift away from in-person learning until 1 February.
Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko said the education measures are part of a broader response to what she described as an exceptionally difficult situation in the energy system, caused by “intensive Russian shelling and the harshest winter in 20 years.”
“In connection with the emergency situation in the energy sector, the government is continuing to take measures to overcome its consequences,” Svyrydenko said in a statement.
Regional decisions depend on local conditions
She said the education ministry and local authorities in Kyiv have been instructed to extend or introduce winter holidays until February 1, while in other regions decisions will depend on local security and energy conditions. Kindergartens are not covered by the decision.
Svyrydenko said authorities may also temporarily switch schools from in-person learning to distance education where needed, depending on regional circumstances.
War's toll on Ukrainian education
Russia's full-scale invasion has forced fundamental changes to how Ukrainian children learn. By early 2024, over 3,500 educational institutions had been damaged by Russian attacks, and polling found roughly 81% of students in frontline regions were studying online rather than in classrooms.
To restore in-person learning in the most dangerous areas, Ukraine has been building underground schools - as of November 2025, over 170 such facilities were under construction nationwide. Kharkiv has opened multiple underground schools and converted metro stations into classrooms for thousands of students.
