“Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine is now in its fifth year,” Tsahkna stressed. “The impact of sanctions, Ukraine’s deep strikes against Russian infrastructure and the stalemate on the battlefield have led Putin to target Ukrainian civilians and civilian infrastructure with increasing aggression. Last week, Russia used nearly 2,000 attack drones against Ukraine, destroying homes, power plants, warehouses, cafés and shopping centres.”
The minister stressed that attacks are increasingly affecting the education sector as well. “Nearly 4.6 million children face barriers to education, and more than 2,800 schools have been destroyed since the start of the full-scale war. Over the weekend, a printing house that was in the process of printing 1.3 million school textbooks was hit. More than 10 million books have been destroyed over the summer.”
According to Tsahkna, Russia’s strategic objective is to break Ukraine’s education system and replace it with a propaganda machine serving the Kremlin. “Russia knows very well that those studying today will shape the future, and that by preventing them from doing so, it can impose its own narratives. Supporting education in Ukraine must therefore remain a clear priority for the international community,” he stressed.
One of the key priorities of Estonia’s development cooperation is to support education projects in Ukraine and help build a modern and resilient education system. Of the 45 projects currently being implemented in Ukraine by the Estonian Centre for International Development (ESTDEV), 15 focus on education.
“Our aim is to support the entire educational journey – from early childhood education to general, vocational and higher education, as well as extracurricular education,” Tsahkna said. “We are helping to rebuild infrastructure, create modern learning environments, advance digitalisation and develop the skills of education professionals in order to strengthen Ukraine’s education system over the longer term. In cooperation with Estonian experts, Ukrainian state institutions, international partners and the private sector, we are building a system that supports Ukraine’s independence and democracy and helps the country integrate more closely with the European Union.”
“Everyone must have the opportunity to receive a high-quality education, learn new skills and develop, even in wartime. Estonia’s support for Ukraine is unwavering.”
