Fleeing war in their homeland, Ukraine’s top teenage math geniuses have landed in Israel, and the high schoolers are now starting a specially-created program at Bar-Ilan University’s International School.

Suddenly, when the war began, the youth, members of Ukraine’s world championship math team, found their lives and studies thrown into chaos.

Coaches on the Israeli team heard of their rivals’ plight and arranged for them to relocate and study at Bar-Ilan University near Tel Aviv for the foreseeable future.

“One moment all my academic hopes were halted due to the war, and the next, I’m starting university studies at age 16 in Israel,” said Boris Holikov from Dnipro, Ukraine’s fourth largest city. “I grabbed the opportunity almost straight away, as I know I won’t regret it.”