Within the framework of the Swiss-Ukrainian project DECIDE, up to 25 communities will be selected for the equipment of up to 24 bomb shelters with an area of up to 100 square meters and 500 square meters at local schools, the press service of the Education and Science Ministry of Ukraine has said.

"Yesterday, a press conference was held at which the communities were announced that will take part in the selection of the DECIDE project initiative to restore schools damaged during the hostilities. Based on the results of the selection, DECIDE will select up to 25 territorial communities to equip up to 15 bomb shelters with a total area of up to 100 square meters and nine bomb shelters with an area of up to 500 square meters at local schools," the ministry said on the website on Wednesday.

In particular, school bomb shelters will be repaired in up to 15 communities in Chernihiv region, up to five territorial communities in Odesa region and up to five territorial communities in Poltava region.

The press service of the ministry recalled that CHF 4.3 million, which is approximately UAH 170 million, were allocated for this initiative. Also, these funds will be spent on the equipment of bomb shelters in 25 schools and repairs of another school in Chernihiv and a local inclusive resource center in Borodianka, Kyiv region.

Since the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion, more than 3,500 educational institutions were damaged, of which 337 were completely destroyed.

"Because of air raid alerts, children have to stay in bomb shelters, and given that the available shelters can accommodate only approximately 56% of the participants in the educational process, many Ukrainian children are deprived of access to quality education," the ministry said.

"All Ukrainian children must receive education. Therefore, today the Education and Science Ministry is consolidating the efforts of international partners, all those who are ready to participate in this difficult but rewarding work – restoring damaged and destroyed educational institutions, building and equipping safe shelters in schools so that every child has access to quality and safe education. We are grateful to Switzerland and all other partners who are ready to join in getting Ukrainian children back to school," Education and Science Minister of Ukraine Oksen Lisovyi said.