A school in Malyn, Ukraine, hit by a blast wave in 2022, reopens for up to 600 pupils

A school in the northern Ukrainian city of Malyn that was damaged during Russian attacks in 2022 has reopened after a renovation of almost €2 million, UNDP Ukraine said. Malyn Lyceum No. 2, hit by a blast wave at the start of the full-scale invasion, now has a new roof, better insulation, improved classrooms and upgraded heating, ventilation and electrical systems for up to 600 pupils.

The works ran from January 2024 to September 2026. The renovation also improved accessibility, fire safety and emergency-warning systems, which matter in a country where air-raid alerts are part of the school day.

A 100-year-old school that takes in displaced children

The lyceum was founded 100 years ago and teaches children from primary to senior level. It serves pupils from families displaced by the war and children with special educational needs, according to UNDP.

“War disrupts childhood, education, and a sense of safety.” — Auke Lootsma, UNDP Resident Representative in Ukraine

The European Investment Bank paid €1.54 million through its €340 million Ukraine Recovery Programme, one of three EU and EIB recovery initiatives run with Ukraine's Ministry for Recovery, Infrastructure and Transport, the Ministry of Finance and local authorities, with technical support from UNDP. The Zhytomyr regional budget added €451,000.

One of more than 1,600 damaged schools

The scale of the damage is far larger than one building. By the end of 2025, 1,611 schools in Ukraine had been damaged or destroyed since the start of the full-scale invasion, at least 339 of them completely, according to UN figures cited by the Global Coalition to Protect Education from Attack. The coalition recorded more than 900 attacks on schools in 2024 and 2025, most involving explosive weapons.

Ukraine's government puts the total higher, at more than 4,200 educational institutions damaged or destroyed since the war began, with hundreds more hit between January and August 2026, UNICEF said on 15 September. Nearly 4.2 million children returned to learning this September, but a significant number still rely on blended or fully online lessons.

Air-raid alerts interrupt the classes that do happen in person. UNICEF counted more than 1,000 alerts across the country in the first 15 days of the school year, nearly double the same period last year. Near the front line, it has helped set up 22 underground shelters as schools; one of them can host up to 300 children.

“Every school restored is a reminder that Ukraine's future cannot be destroyed,” said Joost Mohlmann of the EU Delegation to Ukraine. Mykola Kalashnyk, the minister for recovery, said the project shows war-damaged buildings can be rebuilt to modern standards while the war continues.

Twenty more buildings in the region

In the Zhytomyr region alone, 20 facilities, including schools, preschools, hospitals and water infrastructure, are being restored or built under EIB recovery programs. UNDP has not said when the next of them will open. Other ways of keeping children learning through crises appear among our education stories.

For the coming winter, UNICEF's 2026–2027 response aims to reach 3 million people, including 540,000 children, and to keep 375,000 students learning in person through the cold months.