Over 1.16 Million School Textbooks Destroyed in Russian Strikes

Attack-Related Textbook Losses

According to 5 канал: A new wave of Russian assaults on Ukrainian printing facilities and logistics hubs has resulted in the destruction of more than 1.16 million school textbooks-equivalent to 8.6% of the total print run intended for the upcoming academic year. Ninth-grade books took the heaviest hit, with over 850,000 copies lost, followed by fourth-grade materials, where more than 271,000 copies were destroyed. The figures were shared by Serhii Babak, who chairs the Parliamentary Committee on Education, via his Facebook page. As Ukraine's new school year approaches, these losses come at a particularly critical time.

How the Education Committee Is Responding

Working alongside the government, the committee is pursuing additional printing capacity and devising safer storage strategies and faster delivery routes for new editions. The objective is to ensure that students receive all required textbooks by September 1. These efforts are taking place under the strain of an ongoing war, and the committee continues to explore solutions to guarantee timely distribution.

This is not the first such setback. During the night of July 19, a Russian attack destroyed warehouses and printed educational materials, accounting for a loss of over 410,000 textbooks. Preliminary assessments from Ukraine's Ministry of Education and Science, publishers, and the Institute for Modernization of Education Content (IMZO) warn that these losses pose a serious threat to the learning process.

"Russia has destroyed more than 1.16 million school textbooks in its latest wave of massive attacks on Ukrainian printing companies and logistics warehouses, representing 8.6% of the total print run for the new school year,"

– Serhii Babak, Chair of the Education Committee

The situation not only demonstrates the devastating impact of military aggression on education infrastructure but also highlights how vital it is to sustain schooling in Ukraine. Rebuilding access to learning materials may be essential to keeping children's education on track during the war, and successful textbook recovery efforts could help preserve the country's educational standards for future generations.

The ongoing conflict has not only led to the loss of textbooks but has also resulted in significant damage to the publishing industry as a whole. Following the destruction of over 1.5 million Ukrainian books, the Prime Minister has taken steps to support local publishers in rebuilding efforts. To understand the broader impact of these losses on education and cultural preservation, you can read more about the government's initiatives to assist publishers.