Russia Has Destroyed and Damaged More than 3,000 Educational Institutions in Ukraine

On the morning of March 25, explosions were heard in Kyiv. Russia once again shelled the capital: the missiles were shot down, but the debris fell onto the city. The most significant damage was the destruction of the Kyiv State Academy of Decorative Arts and Design, named after Ukrainian monumentalist and modernist painter Mykhailo Boychuk, who was arrested and executed by the Soviet regime in 1937. Half of the building was demolished, and the educational process was moved online.

Educational institutions are a common target for the Russian army. During the full-scale invasion, more than 3,000 educational institutions of various types have been destroyed or damaged in Ukrainian territories. All data is compiled in the infographic below.

How we counted

The United24 Media editorial team contacted the General Prosecutor's Office of Ukraine to request figures on the destroyed educational institutions of all categories in Ukraine from February 24, 2022. These include:

• Preschool education

• General secondary education

• Professional (vocational-technical) education

• Higher education

Overall, 3,018 educational institutions have been damaged or destroyed in Ukraine. Of these:

• Destroyed: 207

• Damaged: 2,805

Among the destroyed:

• Preschool education: 58

• General secondary education: 125

• Professional (vocational-technical) education: 20

• Higher education: 4

Among the damaged:

• Preschool education: 824

• General secondary education: 1,575

• Professional (vocational-technical) education: 269

• Higher education: 130

• Other child protection institutions: 7

To illustrate that Russian aggression is not limited to the frontline regions, we also obtained information on the destruction in each Ukrainian region.

In addition, we also requested data on destroyed and damaged educational institutions from the Ministry of Education of Ukraine. Overall, this amounts to more than 3,791 educational institutions since February 24, 2022. 

Destroyed — 350 

Damaged — 3,441 

The difference in numbers is due to the different accounting formats used by the General Prosecutor's Office and the Ministry of Education for damaged and destroyed buildings. The General Prosecutor's Office includes buildings in the damaged list when the destruction is significant, whereas the Ministry of Education includes them even for minimal damage.

The General Prosecutor's Office of Ukraine has also identified the means used by the Russian army to destroy educational institutions in Ukraine. This includes the full names of ground, air, and sea-launched cruise missiles:

• Iskander-K

• Iskander-M

• Kalibr

• Kh-22

• Kh-69

• P-800 Oniks

• Kh-101

• P 35

• S-300

• Tochka-U

Additionally, the use of artillery systems has been established:

• D-30 mortars

• Self-propelled artillery

• Smerch

• Tornado-S

• Grad

• FAB-500

• KAB

• Shahed

• Geran-2

The destruction of educational institutions is a violation of the Geneva Conventions. Civilian infrastructure, including educational and healthcare facilities, cannot be targeted. Russia does not adhere to these rules.