Faced with the constant threat of Russian airstrikes, officials in eastern Ukraine’s Kharkiv region have begun building heavily fortified underground schools that will allow children to safely return to school as Moscow’s incursion continues, Reuters reports.

Schools in the region of about 2.5 million people, which borders Russia, were forced to switch to online learning after the invasion began in February 2022.

Kharkiv is frequently targeted by Russian missiles, drones and artillery, and the governor said Thursday that settlements in three different districts had been attacked in the past 24 hours, News.ro reported.

Currently, two schools with 500 seats each are being built, which will be able to withstand direct attacks, said the chief architect of the region, Anton Korotovskyi.

“These facilities will be equipped with everything necessary for the educational process,” he said in an interview with Reuters.

Even more are planned by the end of next year, Korotovskyi said, adding that since the beginning of the Russian invasion, 817 educational institutions have been damaged or completely destroyed in Kharkiv Oblast.

The premises will be equipped with a fully functional ventilation, plumbing and heating system, said Serhiy Petrulyanis, whose construction company is building one of the schools.

“I mean, people will be able to stay here for more than a day,” he said.

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