Occupants have initiated the closure of schools in the Luhansk region, according to the Central News Service.

Russian invaders in the temporarily occupied territory of the Luhansk region have begun the process of closing and merging certain schools. Abandoned buildings will be handed over to military units.

This is reported by RBK-Ukraine, citing the Center for National Resistance (CNS).

The reduction in the number of functioning educational institutions in the areas controlled by Russian occupiers in the Luhansk region is occurring against the backdrop of a demographic crisis in the region, due to an insufficient number of school-aged children.

The process of closing and/or merging schools in the Luhansk region is part of yet another Russian "national project." The Center also notes that an increasing number of people are attempting to leave the occupied territories.

"Russian propaganda can say a lot about the 'happy and vibrant life' under the tricolor, but their decisions and actions reveal the true state of affairs. There are fewer and fewer children, fewer and fewer teachers, and fewer people willing to move from the regions of the Russian Federation to the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine," the CNS publication states.

The Russian invaders plan to merge sparsely populated schools, and some educational institutions are looking to combine with kindergartens to justify their existence.

The Center also points out that the educational process in the region is further complicated by staff shortages.

"Moreover, parents are refusing to send their children to schools that teach according to the Russian propaganda curriculum," added the CNS.

It is worth noting that it was previously reported that cafeterias in schools in the occupied areas are not functioning due to a lack of cooks.

In December, the CNS informed that students in the occupied territories are being urged to report on those who are disloyal to the Russian invaders, including classmates and even parents.

Additionally, the Center recently reported that Russian occupants have confiscated the homes of Ukrainians in the Luhansk region for redistribution.