UKRAINE’S first underground school has opened its doors — 20ft below the surface in a bomb-proof bunker.
Twenty brightly-lit classrooms have been created in the purpose-built premises in a suburb of war-ravaged Kharkiv.
It came as fighting raged around the besieged city, which it is feared is being encircled by Russian forces ahead of a full-scale assault.
Yet in the school the children were jubilant at seeing their friends again.
Some fought back tears as they sang the national anthem — the girls wearing sashes across traditional Ukrainian dresses.
The school has an initial enrolment of 300 children, which is set to rise to 900 by September.
Most were taught in metro stations in the war’s early days before switching to computer home learning.
Teacher Koval Olena, 45, said: “It’s important for the children that they can now see their friends and learn in a natural environment.
“The spark in their eyes when they arrive here is back and it’s wonderful to see.
“It’s sad they have to be here but at least it gives them an opportunity to work properly.”
City mayor Ihor Terekhov spearheaded the school’s creation.
He said: “The children of Kharkiv, like any other children, deserve safety, peace and a normal life — to grow up without fear or restrictions, to study in ordinary schools, to dream big, to prosper.
“We plan to build similar schools in other districts of the city.”
Kharkiv has been blitzed by drones and bombs since enemy troops launched a summer offensive.
The Institute for the Study of War revealed Russia has captured more than 750 sq km of Ukrainian territory this year.
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