One in ten Ukrainian schools affected by the Russian invasion, as reported by the ‘Tribunal for Putin’ initiative

Since Russia began its full-scale invasion in 2022, the Tribunal for Putin (T4P) initiative has documented 2,204 alleged war crimes against educational and academic institutions. Russia has been deliberately destroying Ukrainian educational institutions, while claiming that it is only targeting military facilities. 3,798 educational institutions in Ukraine were affected by bombing and shelling. 365 of them are completely destroyed. This is evidenced by the information provided by the Ukrainian Government.

The Vyry Lyceum of the Vyry Village Council in Sumy Oblast is among these educational institutions. Late in March 2022, the Russian army launched brutal, probably targeted, strikes against it. Eyewitnesses say it was a guided bomb

The Maria’s family left the Irpin at the beginning of the full-scale invasion. She learned from a school chat room that her school had been destroyed.

‘Because of the war, my school is almost completely destroyed. I was afraid that I would never be able to go to this school again, because I love it very much, I got very used to it,’ says Mariia from Irpin in Kyiv Oblast.

Little Vika was a first-former in Avdiivka, Donetsk Oblast, when the full-scale invasion began. She is only nine, but her entire childhood was spent to the accompaniment of the sounds of war. Born under shelling in eastern Ukraine, she used to pack her first satchel while hearing explosions. Today, she has lost her home and the opportunity to study at her original school.

‘I liked my school. But the war took it away from me,’ says Vika from Avdiivka, Donetsk Oblast.

Apart from secondary schools, the T4P database includes at least 300 episodes of destruction or damage to kindergartens and 154 episodes of damage caused to higher education institutions. The intensity of the destruction of educational institutions is higher in the areas closer to the front line, although missile strikes and drone attacks cause damage even in remote areas.

The destruction inflicted on Oriana Lyceum in Lviv by the Russian missile attack on the city on 29 December 2023. Photo: Andriy Sadovyi.

International humanitarian law clearly defines educational institutions as civilian objects that may not be attacked. They can only lose this protection if they are used by the military. However, in the two and a half years of its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the Russian Federation has committed gross violations of international humanitarian law. It has been systematically seizing, destroying, and ruining Ukrainian educational institutions.

The Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court stipulates liability for intentionally directing attacks against buildings dedicated to religion, education, art, science or charitable purposes, historic monuments, hospitals and places where the sick and wounded are collected, provided they are not military objectives. Both the soldiers who committed these crimes and the commanders who gave the orders should be held accountable. Russia will never stop unless it is stopped! You know who should see it.

Valeriia in her graduation dress against the ruins of her school in Kharkiv.