Underground kindergarten opens in war-hit Zaporizhzhia to protect children from air raids

Zaporizhzhia’s city authorities have opened the Kasztan underground kindergarten, the first of its kind near the front line, where 115 children can spend the entire day learning, playing and eating without evacuation during air-raid warnings. The 900-square-metre shelter includes six activity rooms, a kitchen, medical station, restrooms, showers and fully accessible facilities for children with mobility or sensory impairments.

Powered by two separate electricity supplies and equipped with its own water reserves, the centre can operate autonomously for extended periods. Previously, safety constraints limited attendance to short, split-shift sessions with no on-site meals. The city plans two additional underground kindergartens, Malva and Hrajlik, aiming to serve roughly 350 children once all are completed. Funding comes from Ukraine’s state program and the European Union’s Ukraine Facility, targeting high-risk war zones.