The European Commission is allocating €15 million for the construction of new bomb shelters in schools in Ukraine, with Lithuania providing an additional half a million euros and taking responsibility for project implementation. This information was reported by the Representation of the European Union in Ukraine.
The relevant agreement was signed by the Representation of the European Commission in Ukraine and the Lithuanian Central Project Management Agency (CPVA).
EU Ambassador to Ukraine Katarina Mathernova stated that this initiative underscores the unwavering commitment to ensure a maximally safe educational environment for all children in Ukraine.
The EU representation also noted that due to the deliberate destruction by the aggressor of schools, kindergartens, and other educational institutions, every seventh school in Ukraine is damaged or destroyed, with approximately 1.6 million students and 0.2 million preschoolers not attending educational institutions. About 900,000 children express a desire to learn remotely.
The EU program prioritizes regions most affected by military actions—Chernihiv, Sumy, Mykolaiv, Zaporizhia, Kharkiv, and Odessa. At least five shelters are planned to be built in these frontline areas. It is highlighted that thanks to the newly constructed shelters, around five thousand students from these schools will be able to return to offline learning within the next year and a half.
Lithuania's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Gabrielius Landsbergis, emphasized that Russia's brutal attacks on the civilian population are an attempt to break the will of Ukrainians to resist, and Western partners must understand the importance of military aid and financing civil defense for Ukraine.
