Video.
Kyiv school year begins under the shadow of air raid sirens
Updated: 02/09/2026 – 12:12 GMT+2
Kyiv children began the new school year with a ceremony interrupted by an air raid alert, hours after Russian missile strikes hit the capital.
Balloons floated above a schoolyard in Kyiv’s Obolon district on Tuesday as children arrived to mark the traditional start of the new school year.
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The celebration came hours after Russian ballistic missiles struck the Ukrainian capital overnight, leaving parents and pupils tired but determined to continue with the ceremony.
Their morning was soon interrupted when an air raid alert sounded. Families dispersed as distant explosions replaced music and children’s laughter.
At Lyceum Obolon, principal Yevhen Poliakov had considered cancelling the event, knowing that repeated alerts could disrupt it.
The school has a shelter, however, allowing pupils to reach safety quickly.
Ukraine is now entering its fifth school year since Russia’s full-scale invasion.
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