Children across Ukraine are facing growing disruptions to their education as air-raid alarms continue to interrupt the school day amid escalating attacks. The impact of ongoing attacks is also being felt in classrooms across the country.
Since the start of the 2026–2027 academic year, children have experienced an average of 34 hours of air-raid alarms during school time, equivalent to more than 13 per cent of scheduled learning hours, according to data covering the period up to 20 October.
Air-raid alarms occurred on nearly two-thirds of school days (65.9 per cent) in September and October 2026, compared with around one-third (37.4 per cent) during the same period in 2025. The average duration of alarms during school hours almost doubled between September 2025 and September 2026. In Kyiv, the number of school-time alarms rose from 12 in September 2025 to 71 in September 2026.
Almost 2 000 attacks on educational facilities
In the Dnipropetrovsk, Kirovohrad and Kharkiv regions, children experienced more than 60 hours of school-time alarms, equivalent to approximately one quarter of scheduled learning hours. More than 560 000 children were affected.
Katia, 15, from the Mykolaiv region, says: «I've just returned to in-person school; however, we still spend most of our school day in a shelter because of air raids. It is difficult to concentrate and learn properly in these conditions.»
Since the start of the full-scale war, the United Nations has verified almost 2 000 attacks on educational facilities, including around 270 in 2026 alone.
Every child has the right to learn in safety
UNICEF continues to work with the Government of Ukraine and partners to support safe learning, including through improved school shelters, learning recovery and mental health support.
Children must be protected from attacks, and every child has the right to learn in safety.