Russia closes nearly half of its schools since 2000 under Putin: Report

Russia has closed almost 45% of its schools since 2000, with the number falling from 68,800 in 2000 to just under 38,000 in 2026, Firstpost reported, citing Russian data. This comes during Putin's rule, except for his four years as PM. The data noted the schools were mostly shut in rural areas, where their number fell from 45,000 to 21,000.