Sumy Region Expands Underground Schooling, 9 New Facilities Under Construction

Ukraine’s northeastern Sumy region is working on expanding its network of underground schools as Russian forces increasingly target civilians, with more than 4,200 Russian guided aerial bombs (KABs) launched during this year alone. There are currently 13 functional underground schools in Sumy, with nine new facilities still under construction. Cost estimates and site plans had also been completed for another 14 facilities, head of the Sumy Regional Military Administration Oleh Hryhorov told Ukrinform in an exclusive interview on Wednesday, Oct. 28.JOIN US ON TELEGRAMFollow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official. “The process is ongoing and being scaled up as much as possible,” Hryhorov said, noting that the region was seeking international partners to help fund the construction. Classrooms increasingly below ground With the full-scale invasion now in its fifth year, Ukrainian authorities have continued working on giving children as normal a childhood as possible under such conditions. When the school year began on Sept. 1, many students returned to in-person classes under new wartime rules, including restrictions on large gatherings that could put children at risk. In the Sumy region, new underground schools are being built mainly in larger cities, where the number of students is highest. The need is much lower in smaller communities, as some only have a single school, Hryhorov said. Of the region’s 280 schools, 225 have their own shelters. Although most are basic, more than 70 schools have radiation-proof shelters. Other Topics of Interest Russian Strike on Dnipro Industrial Site Injures 1 as Attacks Across Region Wound 5 Others Russian forces struck four districts more than 40 times with guided aerial bombs (KABs), drones and artillery on Wednesday, hitting private homes, a gas station and infrastructure. According to Hryhorov, such infrastructure allows the region to keep many students in physical classrooms. About 75,000 children are currently enrolled in the region’s schools, with 22 of them operating fully in person. As most schools in other regions do as well, 193 are operating using a mix of in-person and remote classes. Since Russia’s full-scale invasion began in February 2022, 165 schools have been damaged in the region and 21 destroyed beyond repair, Hryhorov said. Ukrinform reported that another underground school opened in the city of Sumy in October, able to accommodate up to 500 students. A region under constant fire The effort comes as Sumy, located about 20 kilometers from the frontline, (12 miles) continues facing near-daily Russian attacks. Due to the proximity, Russian forces have increasingly begun relying on fiber-optic FPV drones, which can now reach almost 50 kilometers (31 miles) into the region. By October, more than 6,000 drone strikes of several types were recorded. Since the beginning of the year, more than 4,200 guided aerial bombs were dropped on the region; about 500 targeted the Sumy community, including 192 that struck the regional capital itself. The overall number of attacks is roughly the same as in 2025, Hryhorov said, although noting that their focus has changed. While Russian forces mostly struck military positions during the last year, they have concentrated on civilian infrastructure and the region’s residents in 2026. To protect against drones, more than 450 kilometers (280 miles) of roads have been covered with anti-drone nets. Hryhorov said each kilometer costs more than Hr. 1 million (roughly $22,000), rising to as much as Hr. 3 million ($66,000) when the work is done by private contractors. The government has so far allocated Hr. 70 million ($1.5 million) for additional nets in Sumy, while regional authorities and local communities have provided a total of Hr. 1.35 billion ($30 billion) for overall security measures, including the netting. Mandatory frontline evacuations Meanwhile, in 213 settlements near the border, evacuations remain mandatory. According to Hryhorov, more than 57,000 people, including 8,000 children, have already left. However, about 34,000 civilians still remain in the region. Under mandatory evacuation orders, all children have been evacuated from the frontline communities. On Oct. 22, regional authorities also extended mandatory evacuation of families with children to the entire Sloviansk community after Russian forces struck the settlements of the Donetsk region 42 times, injuring two boys. Russian ballistic missiles struck Kyiv’s university district on Tuesday, Oct. 27, killing one person and injuring over 10, mostly students. A Russian drone struck a school in Kyiv on Thursday, Oct. 1, while more than 100 children and over 60 teachers sheltered inside. The Geran-4 drone struck the wall of a stairwell between the school’s second and third floors without detonating. Although deliberate attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure are prohibited under international humanitarian law, they remain part of daily life for Ukrainian citizens.