Ukraine building schools as hardened bunkers

Ukraine is reportedly building two schools, with more on the way, designed to withstand direct S-300 attacks or other Russian fire. The Ukrainian schools include supplies to last for days, as well as ventilation, power generation, and more.

Basically, Ukrainian schoolchildren now need the same level of protection to go to school that Winston Churchill needed for himself and his cabinet in World War II.

Hard to imagine why Ukrainians didn't welcome Russia's armored columns as liberators back in February 2022.

We should take a moment to point out how bonkers it is that Ukraine needs to defend its schools against missiles from S-300 anti-aircraft systems. Because, yeah, S-300s are surface-to-air-missile launchers designed to defeat jets, loitering munitions, and ballistic missiles.

You may recognize that neither schools nor bunkers are famous for flying. And the new Ukrainian schools will continue that long tradition of being built on the ground. And, they're an illegal target under the law of armed conflict. So why would they be under threat from Russian surface-to-air missiles?

Because the Russians have, since the start of the war, targeted civilians and civilian infrastructure, first for looting and then with full-spectrum warfare. And as they ran low on everything from artillery to missiles to helicopters, they've pressed munitions like the S-300s' missiles into atypical roles.

And Ukraine claims, with evidence, that Russia hit a school in Kharkiv with the missile.

Ukraine has been forced into this same dangerous gamble, once accidentally firing into Poland. The problem is that the S-300 can be fired at targets on the ground. But designers never optimized the missile for that mission. They're inaccurate against surface targets. Their range is reduced. And their huge warheads do a lot of wanton damage.

So it's crazy that Ukraine needs to defend its schools against large, intentional attacks. But it does. And it's insane that the S-300 is so commonly used against civilian buildings that it's a logical design benchmark. But it is.

And so a Ukrainian architect has, according to a report in Times Radio, designed schools to withstand just such an attack. In case Russians launch prolonged attacks or cause a partial collapse of the school, the buildings also boast systems for ventilation, power generation, and food preparation. And they have the supplies to hold out.

Ukrainian schoolchildren have mostly attended remote schools since the 2022 invasion, nearly two years ago. The new schools should allow hundreds of children to get an education environment approaching normalcy.

Not quite normal, of course. Most school cafeterias don't double as dormitories and bomb shelters. But in-person, relatively safe schooling is still a step forward.

Logan was an Army journalist and paratrooper in the 82nd Airborne Division. Now, he’s a freelance writer and live-streamer. In addition to covering military and conflict news at We Are The Mighty, he has an upcoming military literacy channel on Twitch.tv/logannyewrites.