Why it Matters
Ukraine's wartime education system will be the focus of a Nov. 16 briefing by the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe, also known as the U.S. Helsinki Commission. The briefing comes amid growing evidence of Russian attacks on educational facilities and widespread disruptions to classroom instruction.
UNICEF reported Nov. 3 that air-raid alarms affected 65.9% of school days in Ukraine during September and October, up from 37.4% during the same period last year. Since the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion, the United Nations has verified nearly 2,000 attacks on educational facilities, including approximately 270 this year, according to UNICEF's press release.
Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) serves as the commission's Senate ranking member, while Rep. Steve Cohen (D-TN) serves as its House ranking member. Sen. Roger Wicker (R-MS) chairs the commission, and Rep. Joe Wilson (R-SC) serves as co-chairman. The bipartisan commission includes members of both chambers of Congress and representatives from the executive branch.
Broader Context
The commission's announcement says the briefing will examine how Ukraine is educating students during the war, including efforts by volunteers and students to close educational gaps and prepare young people for employment.
UN News reported that a Nov. 2 Russian airstrike hit a school being used to distribute humanitarian aid in Komyshuvakha, in Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia region. The United Nations Human Rights Monitoring Mission confirmed that civilians had gathered at the school to receive aid when multiple Russian glide bombs struck the building.
Ukrainska Pravda, citing regional authorities, reported that the death toll had reached 55 by Nov. 7. As of Nov. 8, authorities had identified 29 victims, while another 45 people remained listed as missing. The report said Russian drone attacks were hampering search-and-rescue operations at the school and nearby shelter.
The Bottom Line
The Nov. 16 briefing will examine Ukraine's efforts to maintain education and prepare students for employment during the war, as UNICEF's Nov. 3 findings document widespread classroom disruptions and nearly 2,000 verified attacks on educational facilities since Russia's full-scale invasion.
Whitehouse and Cohen serve as the commission's Senate and House ranking members, respectively, while Wicker and Wilson lead the commission. The briefing comes two weeks after the deadly Nov. 2 attack on a school used to distribute humanitarian aid in Komyshuvakha.
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