Ukraine’s Reality and the Power of International Solidarity – Presentation to Irish Congress of Trade Unions (ICTU) 2026 Global Solidarity School – Kateryna Maliuta-Osaulova [Trade Union of Education and Science Workers of Ukraine] (TUESWU)
Ukraine’s Reality and the Power of International Solidarity
Kateryna Maliuta of the Ukrainian Trade Union, the TUESWU and Education International, delivered this presentation to the August 20 2026 ICTU Global Solidarity School in Wexford. It can be downloaded here.
It is packed with useful and inspiring information.
Kateryna Maliuta-Osaulova (EI and TUESWU), Gregor Kerr (ILWU), and Christopher Ford (Ukraine Solidarity Campaign, Britain) spoke at the 2026 Irish Congress of Trade Unions Global Solidarity School
Kateryna Maliuta-Osaulova is the International Secretary of the Trade Union of Education and Science Workers of Ukraine. Born in 1984 in a small town in the central part of Ukraine, Kateryna graduated from the Institute of International Relations and Diplomatic Academy of Ukraine and has been working in trade unions since 2011, first in the Federation of Trade Unions of Ukraine, and then in the Trade Union of Education and Science Workers of Ukraine.
We also add below the text of the presentation slides.
The solidarity described here needs to be repeated in the coming months.
Therefore, an International Convoy – presently planned to arrive in Ukraine in November 2026 – is currently being organised.
Details are here :
As first steps, readers are encouraged to find out more at this link – consider spreading the word – and adding individual and organizational endorsements, as appropriate.
More than four years of Russia’s full-scale war have brought relentless aerial terror to Ukraine:
13,000+ missiles
88,000+ drones
120,000+ guided aerial bombs
Recent attack
Education Losses
4,650 educational institutions were damaged by bombings and shelling
423 of them were completely destroyed
Over four years of war, total losses in the education and science sectors are estimated at $13.9 billion. The cost of reconstruction is estimated at $33.5 billion.
The Consequences of War in Figures
16,431 civilians killed (including 803 children)Verified by the UN; the actual number is likely considerably higher.
20,610 Ukrainian children – verified as deported or forcibly transferred
744,000 Ukrainian children –the number Russia itself reports as having been “evacuated” to Russia
190,000+ war crimes – registered in Ukraine since the beginning of the full-scale invasion
235,000+ civilian infrastructure facilities – destroyed or damaged
1,685 cultural heritage sites – destroyed or damaged
€51.3+ billion – in assessed environmental damage
120 million tonnes- of additional greenhouse gas emissions generated by the war
Sources: Office of the Prosecutor General of Ukraine; UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission; Ministry of Culture and Strategic Communications of Ukraine; Ministry of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources of Ukraine; Children of War portal.
EI and other trade unions around the world: Hand of Support
Work of our Trade Union during blackouts
Generators purchased for union headquarters and regional organizations
Unions kept working even during blackouts
«Education without Limits»
Three educational hubs for internally displaced teachers, lecturers and students were opened in western regions of Ukraine
“Solidarity Plus: Protecting Children from War “
EI: Rebuilding a children’s camp – shelter
Сonstruction of a shelter with EI support
NEU: Rebuilding a children’s camp – buildings
Cooperation with the National Education Union
Reconstruction works in the main building and conference hall
NEU: Rebuilding a children’s camp
TUESWU & AFT & ZNP
50 generators 12 educational institutions in Lviv region
Danish support for Ukrainian kids
BUPL provided financial assistance to TUESWU to support two kindergartens in Kyiv that were damaged by Russian attacks
CGIL: Psychological Assistance Center in Odessa
Center for Social and Psychological Rehabilitation and Assistance was opened in Odesa thanks to the financial support of the Italian General Confederation of Labour
AFT: Supporting mental health of Ukrainian educators
Project with American Federation of Teachers supported by EI
Overcoming trauma
Psychological support
Excellent feedback from participants
Critical relevance during wartime
TUESWU&GEW partnership
Supporting young people to stay in Ukraine
All-Ukrainian Youth Forums
Support from EI and GEW
TUESWU&GEW
Rehabilitation and recreation for groups of children of union members affected by the war at summer camps in Germany and Austria
TUESWU&LŠMPS
Summer camps for Ukrainian children in Lithuania
TUESWU & INTO
Only by joining forces can we achieve real results and continue to protect teachers and education
Gregor Kerr, speaking to the August 2026 ICTU Global Summer School on behalf of Irish Left With Ukraine (ILWU)
Irish Left With Ukraine - Neither Moscow nor Washington 
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