UKRAINE, KHARKIV, Sep. 15 – U.S. Senators Tom Tillis, John R. Curtis, Allan Armstrong and Kenan Madi, chief of field operations for UNICEF in Ukraine, visited a metro school at the 23 Serpnia underground station in Kharkiv during their trip to the city to speak with students and learn about how school operated, the Kharkiv City Council reported.

The school was opened this year on Jan. 26 with financial support from UNICEF and is the seventh school established in Kharkiv’s metro. 

Oleksandr Novak, first deputy mayor, said the city is continuing to expand its network of safe locations for education. According to him, 24 underground educational spaces are operating now and with UNICEF’s support, new classrooms will soon be set up at another metro station.

Since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion schools in Kharkiv have shifted to online education. Due to the risk of Russian attacks, the city is building safe locations for in-person classes, to give students more opportunities to socialize and adapt to school life. 

According to Olha Demenko, director of the city’s Department of Education, about 90,000 students are enrolled in Kharkiv schools, 60% of whom will attend classes in underground facilities.

“The United States is one of our strongest partners, providing us with vital assistance. Today, members of the U.S. delegation saw the conditions in which Kharkiv locals live. I am convinced that this will serve as an important signal for them to continue supporting Ukraine at all levels,” Novak said.

The members of the U.S. delegation, in turn, affirmed their readiness to continue supporting Kharkiv and Ukraine.

Read more

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