Russian strikes have destroyed nearly 12 million books in Ukraine, according to the Independent. The attacks focused on printing presses and publishing houses, wiping out about 1.5 million volumes in July and an additional 10 million in August. Pravda reported that roughly nine percent of new textbooks were burned in the wave of attacks.
The destruction has hit hundreds of schools just as the new academic year was set to begin on Tuesday. With many classrooms damaged, parents face uncertainty about sending children to school, though shelters are available and lessons can be shifted online. Viktoria Haida, commercial director of Kyiv’s Konvi publishing firm, which was bombed, told the BBC that she believes the targeting is deliberate on the part of the Russian Federation.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy pledged a response, saying Russia’s current tactic is to wear down Ukraine and its people. The statement came after a series of relentless strikes that left 38 people dead following an ammunition depot explosion in Kyiv. Zelenskyy warned that “responses to every Russian strike and crime will certainly come.”
The book losses occur amid broader Russian aggression, including plans for massive strikes on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure and the use of jet‑powered drones that have emptied supermarket shelves. The cumulative pressure underscores the challenges Ukraine faces in maintaining education and civilian services while defending against sustained aerial attacks.
