Ukraine opens first underground kindergarten in Kharkiv Oblast

Ukraine's Education and Science Ministry says the country's first underground kindergarten has opened in the Pisochyn community of Kharkiv Oblast, built to let children attend preschool in person even during air raid alerts. The Mobil facility holds 260 children across eight classrooms, with a medical station, dining area, showers, two independent power sources and backup generators.

Officials highlighted barrier-free design, including elevators and threshold-free routes for children and adults with limited mobility. Ukraine allocated more than UAH 972 million ($21.9 million) this year for shelters at preschool institutions, the first time such dedicated funding has existed, according to Deputy Minister Anastasiia Konovalova.

Similar underground kindergarten projects are underway in nine oblasts, with priority given to communities facing the highest security risks, the ministry said.

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