UNICEF reports that over 1,300 schools in Ukraine have been completely destroyed since the start of the full-scale invasion launched by Russia in February 2022. Most Ukrainian students are forced to continue their studies online, far from teachers and friends. As a new school year begins in September, students and teachers face continued violence, uncertainty, and apprehension.

Already the second academic year in Ukraine begins during martial law, when a full-scale war takes place in Ukraine.

For two years in a row, the Trade Union of Education and Science Workers of Ukraine (TUESWU) has been closely cooperating with the German Education Union (GEW), which is a partner and a sincere friend of the TUESWU. In the last few years, it has been actively supporting the Trade Union in different areas: providing financial assistance to Ukrainian educators affected by the war that was provoked by Russia, hosting Ukrainian children in summer camps in Germany, and supporting Ukrainians who were forced to flee from the war to Germany.

In early August 2023, a delegation of trade union and public activists from Spain visited Ukraine on a humanitarian mission.

The Spanish delegation was represented by Isarn Pardes Fuses and Cristina Villaverde Darriba from the «Lucha Internationalista» organization and Francisco Martín Castillo from the General Confederation of Labor. 

On June 6, 2023, Russia demonstrated another outrageous act of barbarity and terrorism in its war against Ukraine. Russia followed through on its threats to terrorize Ukraine and the world for a year by blowing up the Kakhovka hydroelectric power plant, which was mined immediately after it was seized in April 2022.

On May 8-11, 2023, a delegation from Education International, a global union federation of 383 affiliated organizations of teachers and educators from around the world, and the American Federation of Teachers, which unites 1.7 million members, visited Ukraine at the invitation of the Trade Union of Education and Science of Ukraine. The purpose of the visit of international colleagues is to study the situation in the country's education sector and the challenges that Ukrainian educators face on a daily basis during the war.

At the beginning of April 2023, the representatives of the Trade Union of Education and Science Workers of Ukraine participated in the events organized by the trade union organizations of the UK and Ireland.

One year ago, Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, which resulted in huge human losses, displacement of the population, humanitarian crisis, destruction of critical infrastructure, educational and medical facilities, and global changes in the lives of Ukrainians.

According to a GoGlobal study, 54% of Ukrainian teachers experience professional burnout, and 75% of schoolchildren show signs of stress.