A Generation Learning in Fear: Air-Raid Alarms Disrupt Schools Across Ukraine

Kyiv has experienced a dramatic increase in school-time air-raid warnings, with the number of alarms rising from just 12 in September 2025 to 71 in September 2026.

Children across Ukraine are facing growing difficulties in continuing their education as frequent air-raid alarms force schools to interrupt lessons and move students into shelters. Intensifying attacks have made ordinary school days increasingly unpredictable, leaving thousands of children struggling to concentrate on their studies amid constant safety concerns. The rising number of warnings is creating serious challenges for students and teachers who are trying to maintain regular classroom learning during the ongoing war.

New figures reveal that air-raid alarms have disrupted an average of 34 hours of scheduled school time since the beginning of the 2026–2027 academic year, representing more than 13 per cent of total learning hours. The data, covering the period up to 20 October 2026, highlights the growing amount of school time affected by security warnings across Ukraine. For children already experiencing years of educational disruption, these repeated interruptions make it increasingly difficult to follow lessons and maintain consistent learning routines.

The situation has worsened considerably compared with the previous academic year, with air-raid alarms occurring on 65.9 per cent of school days during September and October 2026. During the same period in 2025, alarms were recorded on 37.4 per cent of school days, showing a sharp increase in the frequency of disruptions. The average duration of school-time alarms also almost doubled between September 2025 and September 2026, placing additional pressure on children whose education depends on safe and uninterrupted learning environments.

Air-Raid Alarms Disrupt Thousands of Students Across Ukraine

Kyiv has experienced a dramatic increase in school-time air-raid warnings, with the number of alarms rising from just 12 in September 2025 to 71 in September 2026. This sharp increase means students must regularly interrupt their studies and follow emergency safety procedures, making it difficult for schools to maintain normal teaching schedules. The growing frequency of warnings demonstrates how security threats are increasingly affecting education even in areas where schools continue to operate.

Children in Dnipropetrovsk, Kirovohrad and Kharkiv regions have faced particularly severe disruptions, experiencing more than 60 hours of air-raid alarms during scheduled school time. These interruptions represent approximately one quarter of expected learning hours and have affected more than 560,000 children across the three regions. Such extensive disruption raises concerns about students' ability to complete lessons, retain information and recover learning time lost during repeated emergency warnings.

Children Struggle to Learn as School Shelters Become Everyday Classrooms

For many Ukrainian students, returning to in-person education has not meant returning to a normal classroom experience, as air-raid alarms continue to force them into protective shelters. Fifteen-year-old Katia from the Mykolaiv region recently resumed attending school in person, but she reports spending much of her school day inside a shelter because of repeated warnings. She describes how these conditions make concentrating on lessons and understanding schoolwork extremely difficult, reflecting the educational challenges faced by children living under the constant threat of attacks.

The ongoing conflict has also caused extensive damage to educational infrastructure, leaving schools exposed to physical destruction alongside repeated interruptions to learning. Since the beginning of the full-scale war, the United Nations has verified almost 2,000 attacks on educational facilities across Ukraine, including approximately 270 attacks recorded during 2026 alone. These figures reveal the scale of the danger surrounding educational institutions and the difficulties communities face in providing children with safe places to study.

UNICEF Supports Safe Education as School Disruptions Continue

UNICEF is working with the Government of Ukraine and partner organisations to help children continue their education under safer conditions despite the ongoing security threats. Its support includes improving school shelters, providing opportunities for students to recover missed learning and expanding mental health services for children affected by the war. These efforts address both the practical difficulties of continuing classroom instruction and the emotional strain experienced by young people whose daily lives are repeatedly interrupted by air-raid warnings.

Protecting children and educational facilities remains essential as escalating attacks continue to threaten access to schooling across Ukraine. The growing number of alarms, damaged educational buildings and difficulties maintaining regular lessons demonstrate the urgent need for safe learning environments that allow children to focus on their education. Every child has the right to learn without fear, and ensuring that Ukrainian students can attend school safely remains a critical responsibility during the continuing conflict.