More than 400 educational institutions in Ukraine have been destroyed due to Russian military strikes since the onset of the full-scale war, with over 4,000 others suffering damage. This information was disclosed by Ukraine’s Minister of Education and Science, Oksen Lisovyi, in an interview with Radio Svoboda.
Lisovyi noted that the destruction includes higher education facilities, with 153 university buildings damaged and three completely destroyed. He highlighted the urgent need for restoration efforts, particularly for significant institutions in Dnipro, including the Honchar University and Dnipro Polytechnic.
“We have over 400 institutions destroyed, more than 4,000 damaged, and 153 university buildings affected, with three completely ruined. We currently face a significant backlog in restoring important universities in Dnipro,” Lisovyi stated.
The minister explained that most damages involve roofs and windows, though some instances require immediate emergency measures due to more severe destruction. “If there are structural damages that could lead to parts collapsing, we must quickly implement emergency measures. Regional military administrations usually respond promptly in coordination with the State Emergency Service,” he added.
Lisovyi also referenced a specific incident involving a Kalibr missile strike on a dormitory at the Dnipro National University named after Oles Honchar, which resulted in the death of a student. He described this as a targeted act of terror aimed at driving young people out of the country.
Efforts to restore educational facilities are being funded through various sources, including the state budget, local communities, donors, and special university funds. However, the ministry’s budget for restoration is limited. “We do not have funds allocated for school reconstruction within the ministry. For university restoration, we have half a billion hryvnias, which is substantial but insufficient, as our immediate needs amount to 1.2 billion hryvnias, while the total restoration requirement exceeds 3 billion,” Lisovyi explained.
He noted that not all buildings require immediate restoration, as some are not actively used for educational purposes, allowing for student transfers to other facilities.
Russian forces continue to target Ukrainian cities and civilian infrastructure with various types of weaponry, including drones and missiles. Ukrainian authorities and international organizations categorize these attacks as war crimes, emphasizing their deliberate nature.
Attacks on essential services and healthcare facilities, aimed at depriving civilians of electricity, heat, water, communication, and medical assistance, are viewed as indicators of genocidal actions. Legal experts and human rights advocates assert that the Russian government has committed acts that could be classified as genocide against the Ukrainian population.
The 1948 United Nations Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide obligates member states to prevent and punish acts of genocide during both wartime and peacetime. The convention defines genocide as actions intended to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnic, racial, or religious group.
Signs of genocide include the killing of group members, inflicting serious bodily harm, deliberately creating conditions aimed at destroying a group, preventing births, and forcibly transferring children from one group to another.
Despite the evidence, Russian leadership denies that its military conducts targeted strikes against civilian infrastructure in Ukraine, claiming that it does not intentionally harm civilians or destroy hospitals, schools, and other essential facilities.
The ongoing conflict in Ukraine has led to significant destruction of educational institutions, with over 400 destroyed and more than 4,000 damaged. Restoration efforts face financial challenges, while Russian military actions are classified as war crimes by Ukrainian authorities and international organizations.