Several Russian regions switched schools to remote learning this week as authorities warned of possible Ukrainian drone attacks, in a sign of the war’s growing disruption to civilian life far from the front lines.
Officials in at least four regions announced temporary closures or online classes on Monday and Tuesday, citing security concerns linked to the threat of unmanned aerial vehicle attacks.
Ukrainian long-range drone strikes have increasingly targeted Russian territory, including energy infrastructure, military facilities and transport hubs, forcing local authorities to periodically shut airports, suspend public events and tighten security measures.
In the southwestern Lipetsk region, Vice Governor Yulia Kotlyarova said schools would move to remote learning on Tuesday and Wednesday “in connection with possible provocations and in order to ensure children’s safety.”
Authorities said kindergartens and primary schools would operate limited duty groups, while mass events at educational institutions were canceled.
Regional Governor Igor Artamonov later said the decision was prompted by the “probability of a massive UAV attack.”
Authorities in Cheboksary, the capital of the republic of Chuvashia in central Russia, also ordered schools to switch to remote learning on Tuesday after a drone attack alert was declared early in the morning.
Mayor Stanislav Trofimov urged parents not to bring children to kindergartens where possible.
In the Penza region, Governor Oleg Melnichenko said schools in the regional capital and four districts, as well as universities and technical colleges, would operate remotely from May 12 to May 14 because of what he described as an elevated “drone and missile threat.”
Meanwhile, authorities in the southern Stavropol region announced that schools and technical colleges would move online on May 12-13 and kindergartens would adopt a flexible attendance regime. Governor Vladimir Vladimirov linked the move to severe weather forecasts, including thunderstorms, hail and strong winds.
Separately, officials in the Siberian town of Bodaibo in the Irkutsk region said schools would remain online through May 15 following a water supply outage caused by an accident. Kindergartens in the town were also temporarily closed because of the disruption.
Read this article in Russian at The Moscow Times’ Russian service.
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