The mayor of Odessa congratulated students and educators on the start of the academic year:

"September 1st is always a significant day. It marks the moment when millions of children take their seats at desks, open their notebooks, and begin a new chapter in their lives. Even now, in the toughest times, this tradition continues. I want to pay tribute to our teachers. You are true heroes. You conduct lessons amidst sirens, in shelters, online, often under difficult circumstances. Yet, you persist in educating. You understand that knowledge is the key to our future. You are shaping a generation that will rebuild and develop Ukraine. I am proud of our children. They show incredible strength, learning despite everything. They open textbooks during alarms, master online classes, study in shelters, and continue learning in classrooms after the all-clear. You all prove to us that Ukrainian children cannot be frightened or broken. Today, I congratulate all residents of Odessa on Knowledge Day. I wish inspiration, wisdom, and strength to teachers; patience and support to parents; and a thirst for knowledge and faith in themselves to our children. Together, we hold the future in our hands. And together, we bring closer the day when every school will operate under peaceful skies", - said Gennady Trukhanov.