On 1 September, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy visited a rebuilt secondary school in the Kyiv region to congratulate the Year 1 pupils on the start of the new school year. During the event, an air-raid alert was sounded in the region, so the President, the children, teachers and other guests moved in an organised manner to the school’s air-raid shelter. They continued their conversation in the sheltered building.
Briefly about the main points
- An alarm interrupted the Knowledge Day celebrations at a lyceum in the Kyiv region.
- The President and the participants in the event made their way to the school shelter.
- The Ministry of Education and Science had stipulated that assembly must be brought to an immediate halt during an alarm.
- The visit took place following a night-time attack by Russia on the capital region.
- The format of teaching in schools depends on the security situation and the availability of shelters.
The party for the Year 1 pupils continued in a safe room
Before the alarm sounds Zelensky had a chance to chat with the Year 1 pupils and teachers. The start of the academic year The school had planned to hold the event in the usual festive manner, but it had to be cut short due to safety concerns.
In the school shelter, the president continued his conversation with the children. Commenting on the situation, he stated that children should not be caught up in the war and should not have to spend their first day of term in shelters because of Russian air strikes.
The school’s actions were in line with the Ministry of Education’s recommendations
The Ministry of Education and Science has recommended that schools immediately halt any celebrations in the event of an air-raid alert and move pupils, staff and visitors to a shelter. This is precisely the procedure followed by those attending the event.
In the run-up to Knowledge Day, the Ministry of Education and Science also advised that, where possible, celebrations should be held indoors in sheltered premises. If an event is organised in a schoolyard or an assembly hall, the number of participants must not exceed the designated capacity of the venue. The Ministry urged people to avoid large gatherings and, in particular, to hold assembly ceremonies in stages or only for Year 1 pupils and leavers.
The start of the academic year took place following the attack on Kyiv and the surrounding region
The President’s visit took place following a massive Russian missile and drone attack on Kyiv and the Kyiv region in the early hours of 1 September. As of this morning, four people were reported dead and 13 injured in the Kyiv region. A residential building and several businesses were damaged in Boryspil.
The threat continued into the afternoon: at around 10 am, the Air Force reported a jet-powered drone over the capital. A fire broke out in a 16-storey residential block in the Podilskyi district, whilst in the Sviatoshynskyi district a drone crashed near a five-storey block of flats.
In the 2026/2027 academic year, around 3 million children are expected to continue their education, including an estimated 240,000 Year 1 pupils. Operating format of establishments This is determined by the security situation and the availability of shelters: in schools with suitably equipped shelter areas, lessons and activities may be moved there during alerts.
