The government has funded 113 school shelters and 18 in nurseries
This was announced by the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine and the Minister of Education, Oksen Lisovyi.
At a government meeting on 20 April, a decision was adopted which, for the first time, provides for the funding of shelters in pre-school education establishments from the state budget. This involves over 972 million hryvnias for the construction and renovation of 18 underground shelters in kindergartens across nine regions – Vinnytsia, Dnipropetrovsk, Zaporizhzhia, Kyiv, Mykolaiv, Odesa, Sumy, Kharkiv and Kherson.
At the same time, the government has continued funding for shelters in schools. In total, in 2026, the grant covers 113 shelters in general secondary education establishments across 22 regions of Ukraine. The total funding for this initiative amounts to almost 5 billion hryvnias.
How the funds were allocated
Funding for school shelters was allocated in stages. Initially, the government allocated 2.04 billion UAH to 30 projects – primarily in communities with a very high security risk and in military lyceums. A further 230 million UAH was allocated separately to complete 22 projects, the readiness of which already exceeded 60%.
In its latest decision, the Cabinet of Ministers approved funding for a further 61 projects totalling over 2.73 billion UAH. Of these, 29 will be implemented in communities with a high level of security risk, 28 in communities with moderate and satisfactory levels, and one more facility in a community with a very high level of risk. In addition, these funds will cover the completion of three projects started last year.
Thus, all of this year’s government decisions together form a package comprising 113 school shelters across 22 regions.
How projects were selected
The selection was carried out via the DREAM and AIKOM digital systems. Key criteria included the availability of design and cost estimate documentation, the ability to complete the work by 2026, and the absence of a shelter or the need for its major repair or reconstruction.
Priority was given to communities with higher security risks, particularly in frontline areas, as well as to projects from previous years with at least 60% completion, which could realistically be finished this year. Following the assessment, regional administrations could further prioritise projects, and the final list was drawn up by a commission of the Ministry of Education and Science and submitted to the government for approval.
Repairs and the construction of shelters in schools are funded by local authorities through state subsidies. This initiative is being implemented with the support of international partners as part of the LEARN programme – “Improving the Accessibility and Resilience of Education in Crisis Conditions in Ukraine” – in collaboration with the World Bank.
The Ministry of Education and Science emphasises that expanding the network of shelters should enable thousands of pupils to study in person or in a blended format in safer conditions. According to Oksen Lisovyi, the state will continue to work to ensure that in-person learning remains possible in every community where the security situation permits.
As reported by ThePublic, the Government will continue funding the modernisation of school canteens and catering facilities in 2026. Over 46.5 million UAH in subsidies will be allocated to complete projects launched in 2025 that are at least 60% complete.
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