Two Russians and Belarusian win World Press Photo 2025 award – Ukrainian photographer community reacts

The Ukrainian Association of Professional Photographers (UAPP) has condemned the results of the 2025 World Press Photo international competition, where two Russians, a Belarusian and a group of German photographers were among the regional winners - some of them with projects focused on Ukraine and the war. Source: official statement by the Ukrainian Association of Professional Photographers (UAPP) Details: UAPP said it was surprised by the jury's selection and demanded adherence to ethical standards, impartiality and transparency.

Quote: "By rewarding Russian photographers who serve as expressors of the state ideology of the Russian Federation, the competition makes the position of the aggressor visible, and thus contributes to the substitution of concepts: instead of condemning the aggressor, it emphasises sympathy for him.

In our opinion, such an award does not meet the stated goal of the competition, which is to connect the world with important stories, especially in the situation of the war of aggression that Russia has been waging against Ukraine for 11 years."

Underground Field Hospital.Photo: Nanna Heitmann

Details: The UAPF Board stated that fair voting is only possible if it is impartial, as attention should be paid to photographers who "reflect the truth and give a voice to those who are often silenced".

Which works won awards For the first time since the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion, a photojournalist from Russia won the competition. The winner is Mikhail Tereshchenko, a photo correspondent for the Russian state news agency TASS.

He received an award in the Stories category for his series Protests in Georgia, which documented anti-Russian protests in Tbilisi against the suspension of Georgia's EU accession talks. Another Russian, Aliona Kardash, won in the Long-Term Projects category with her project It Smells of Smoke at Home. Although she resides in Germany, her main focus was the "psychological detachment of modern Russia from reality, where war is called a 'special operation'."

It Smells of Smoke at Home.Photo: Aliona Kardash

In the Singles category for Europe, the jury selected two works depicting the war in Ukraine.

They were described as a "visual pair" showing two reflections of the region's reality. German photographer Florian Bachmeier captured six-year-old Angelina from Kharkiv Oblast, who suffers from panic attacks after fleeing shelling. The work is titled Beyond the Trenches and, according to the author, "became the emotional center of the European bloc".

In contrast, German photographer Nanna Heitmann presented a photo titled Underground Field Hospital, showing a wounded militant from the so-called Donetsk People's Republic who fought on the side of the Russian Armed Forces.

Protests in Georgia.Photo: Mikhail Tereshchenko

In the Southeast Asia and Oceania category, Belarusian photographer Tatyana Chypsanova won with a project about the ancestors of the Maori Ngai Tahu tribe in New Zealand. "Winning photos are those that make us stop, or at least pause and think, not just scroll on. Many of these images transcend the moment in which they were taken - they have become symbols of something significant from a social, political or historical point of view," said Finbarr O'Reilly, European jury chair, justifying the selection.

Reactions from photographers The announcement of the winners immediately sparked heated debate within the photography community, including among Ukrainian photojournalists. Serhii Korovainyi, a photojournalist, also shared his reaction. Quote: "From my perspective, this is an unempathic, shallow manipulation driven by visual resemblance that removes responsibility for Russia's war of aggression in Ukraine from 'ordinary Russians' - both military and civilians.

It encourages Russian guiltwashing. It is entirely inappropriate during a war of choice led by the Russian Federation. One of the winning stories by a photographer of Russian origin, Aliona Kardash, is about Russian society during the war, its struggles and suffering.

It is titled It Smells of Smoke at Home. Ukrainian cities also smell of smoke. From Russian missiles and drones that kill our civilians and soldiers - many of whom were civilians just yesterday.

Russian cities will stop smelling of smoke the moment Russian troops leave Ukraine. At that moment, Russian 'boys' will stop dying in basements in the Ukrainian city of Bakhmut, and Angelina will return home to her Kupiansk."

Screenshot: Yulia Kochetova on Instagram

Details: Last year's World Press Photo winner Yulia Kochetova also criticised the jury's decision. Quote: "Obviously, I am surprised to see so much attention to the narrative of the 'Russian soul' among this year's regional winners.

I can't imagine how Georgian photographers feel because their protests against Russian influence were shown through the images of a photographer from a Russian state agency. This is a personal responsibility - how this war will be told in years to come. It is important to continue to testify and document."

Screenshot: Vlada Liberova on Instagram

More details: Documentary photographer Vlada Liberova also joined the discussion.

Quote: "So you really think that calling a photo of a young Ukrainian girl who suffered from Russian aggression and a photo of a wounded occupier in occupied territory a 'visual pair' is a good idea?"

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