100 photos of Ukraine is our traditional annual summary material. We curated the most striking photos taken by Ukraїner photographers in 2025.
The images in this collection tell the story of contemporary Ukraine: how the prolonged war is reshaping the landscape of our cities and villages; the conditions in which our military personnel serve; how people return home from captivity; and how Ukrainians continue to live, work, support one another, and stand up for their values. Together, these pieces of the puzzle form a living history, documented by photographers through their images.
2025,the fourth year of the full-scale invasion and the 12th year of the Russo-Ukrainian war, was marked by heightened political rhetoric about negotiations and “reconciliation,” an increase in international news stories without substantial new information, sustained hostile pressure on the front lines, and ongoing terror in the rear. Despite this, Ukrainians remain united, focusing on fighting back against Russian aggression by destroying assets, resources, and mercenaries — this is the most effective tactic for compelling peace.
Ukraїner responded to these events through our trips to the front line and discussions with intellectual leaders. After a several-year hiatus, we resumed our expeditions. We are increasingly exploring the topic of Ukrainian identity, which is important to examine and refine during this war.
If you value our work, you can support us on Buy Me a Coffee or Patreon. Every contribution helps us continue our information campaign and defend Ukraine.
A soldier from the 35th Separate Marine Brigade in the Kurakhove direction. Donechchyna, January 2025. Photo: Karyna Piliuhina.
Literary scholar and writer Rostyslav Semkiv. Kyiv, January 2025. Until Now interview series. Photo: Artem Halkin.
Traces of enemy artillery shelling. Hlyboke, Slobozhanshchyna. February 2025. Photo: Oleh Solohub.
Musician, leader of the band Okean Elzy, Sviatoslav Vakarchuk. Kyiv, February 2025. What’s Next project. Photo: Khrystyna Kulakovska.
Lychakiv Military Cemetery on the third anniversary of the full-scale invasion. Lviv, Halychyna. February 2025. Photo: Sofia Soliar.
An event commemorating three years since the attack on the Mariupol Drama Theatre. The word “Children” is spelled out near the Lviv Theatre of Opera and Ballet. Lviv, Halychyna. March 2025. Photo: Sofia Soliar.
A recruit of the 72nd Separate Mechanized Brigade named after the Black Zaporozhians after passing a series of psychological obstacles. Kyivan Polissia, March 2025. Photo: Yurii Stefanyak.
Serhii Filimonov — Captain of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, commander of the 108th Separate Assault Battalion “Da Vinci Wolves.” Donechchyna, April 2025. Interviews with the Military project. Photo: Pavlo Youz.
Easter haivky near St. Sophia Cathedral. Kyiv, April 2025. Photo: Petro Chekal.
Actress Marharyta Burkovska currently serving in the 3rd Separate Mechanized Brigade. Slobozhanshchyna, April 2025. Interviews with the Military project. Photo: Pavlo Youz.
Soldiers of the 72nd Separate Mechanized Brigade practise assault tactics. Podniprovia and Zaporizhzhia, April 2025. Photo: Herman Krieger.
The crew of the Domakha surveillance drone at work. April 2025. Victory Units project. Photo: Karyna Piliuhina.
A soldier in uniform holding a weapon. Location unknown. April 2025. Photo: Nick Zavilinskyi.
POW exchange. April 2025. Photo: Yurii Stefanyak.
The enemy's crossing point near the Oskil River, photographed from the sky. Outskirts of Kindrashivka, Slobozhanshchyna. April 2025. Photo: Oleh Solohub.
Yosyf Zisels, Ukrainian public figure and human rights activist of Jewish origin, member of the dissident movement, in particular the Helsinki Group. Kyiv, April 2025. What’s Next project. Photo: Artem Halkin.
Story: ”Joseph Zissels on Ukrainian Jews and collective identity.”
Training of soldiers of the 10th Separate Mountain Assault Brigade “Edelweiss”. May 2025. Victory Units project. Photo: Karyna Piliuhina.
Serhiy Prytula, head of the Prytula Foundation, which has been assisting the Ukrainian military and civilians in frontline and de-occupied territories since 2020. Location withheld for security. May 2025. Photo: Karyna Piliuhina.
A soldier from the Security and Defence Forces working with a Shark drone in the south. Location withheld for security. May 2025. Victory Units project. Photo: Karyna Piliuhina.
Training of servicemen of the 10th Separate Mountain Assault Brigade “Edelweiss” who are serving under the Contract for Youth 18-24 programme. May 2025. Victory Units project. Photo: Karyna Piliuhina.
Infantry soldiers of the 72nd Separate Mechanized Brigade named after the Black Zaporozhians practice tactical maneuvers. Podniprovia and Zaporizhzhia. May 2025. Victory Units project. Photo: Herman Krieger.
A wrestling (kuresh) competition during the Crimean Tatar spring festival “Saba Qavesi: Hidirlez.” Kyiv, May 2025. Photo: Petro Chekal.
Mariam Naiem and Ilko Hladshtein, hosts of the video podcast Vrodylo, during the filming of an episode of the second season. They speak with guests about what it means to be Ukrainian with a different ethnic background. Kyiv. May 2025. Vrodylo project. Photo: Khrystyna Kulakovska.
A large-scale POW exchange. Sivershchyna. May 2025. Photo: Karyna Piliuhina.
Soldiers of the 72nd Separate Mechanized Brigade named after Black Zaporozhians practice assault operations on enemy positions. Podniprovia and Zaporizhzhia. May 2025. Victory Units project. Photo: Herman Krieger.
A prosthetic arm in one of the wards of the surgical department at the Superhumans rehabilitation center, where the photographer was undergoing rehabilitation. Vynnyky, Halychyna. June 2025. Photo: Oleh Pereverziev.
Yurii Yekhanurov, Ukrainian politician and economist, Prime Minister of Ukraine (2005–2006), Minister of Defence of Ukraine (2007–2009). Currently a professor at the Department of Enterprise Economics at Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv and Head of the Research Institute of Advanced Defence Technologies at Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute. Kyiv. June 2025. What’s Next project. Photo: Karyna Piliuhina.
A servicemember of the 20th Separate Unmanned Systems Brigade K-2 works in a drone workshop. Donechchyna. July 2025. Victory Units project. Photo: Karyna Piliuhina.
Reconnaissance company soldiers of the 20th Separate Unmanned Systems Brigade K-2 rest after training. Donechchyna. July 2025. Victory Units project. Photo: Karyna Piliuhina
Service members of the K-2 unit work with ground-based robotic systems. July 2025. Victory Units project. Photo: Karyna Piliuhina.
Oleksandr Hliadelov prepares for his solo photo exhibition at the Ukrainian House. Kyiv. July 2025. Portraits of Artists project. Photo: Artem Halkin.
A veteran kayaking. Rivne, Volyn. July 2025. Volyn expedition. Photo: Sofia Soliar.
A visitor at the presentation of Railways in Ukraine by Mykola Oleksiienko, published by Ukraїner and first presented at Kyiv’s main railway station in a “Point of Invincibility”. Kyiv. July 2025. Photo: Yurio Lybenskyi.
You can purchase this book at the Ukrainer store.
A machine gunner of the 72nd Separate Mechanized Brigade serving under the Contract 18–24 programme. Podniprovia and Zaporizhzhia. July 2025. Photo: Herman Krieger.
A peaceful protest against pressure on SAPO and NABU near the government quarter. Kyiv. July 2025. Photo: Yurii Stefanyak.
The Ukraїner film crew, together with genealogist and local historian Artur Aloshnyi (holding an umbrella), during filming. Kysylyn, Volyn. July 2025. Volyn expedition. Photo: Sofia Soliar.
A woman at a weaving loom. Radyvyliv, Volyn. July 2025. Volyn expedition. Photo: Sofia Soliar.
A protest against restrictions on the independence of SAPO and NABU near the Ivan Franko National Academic Drama Theatre. Kyiv. July 2025. Photo: Yurii Stefanyak.
A boy plays basketball near a building with a mural created by artist Yurii Chaika. Lutsk, Volyn. July 2025. Photo: Sofia Soliar.
Singer and folklore researcher Darusia Parnas by the Styr River. Lutsk, Volyn. August 2025. Volyn expedition. Photo: Alona Malashyna.
A servicemember and a man with a bicycle. Neskuchne, Donechchyna. August 2025. Photo: Karyna Piliuhina.
Karyna Piliuhina, photographer and producer of military projects at Ukraїner, interviews Maksymilian Andronnikov (call sign Caesar), Deputy Commander of the Freedom of Russia Legion, formed at the beginning of the full-scale invasion by Russian volunteers who sided with Ukraine. Kyiv. August 2025. Interviews with the Military project. Photo: Yurio Lybenskyi.
A servicemember of the 4th Battalion of the ”Khartiia” Brigade against a sunset backdrop. Neskuchne, Donechchyna. August 2025. Photo: Karyna Piliuhina.
Servicemembers of the 4th Battalion of the Khartiia Brigade during combat operations. Slobozhanshchyna. August 2025. Photo: Karyna Piliuhina.
Portrait of a servicemember of the 4th Battalion of the Khartiia Brigade. Slobozhanshchyna. August 2025. Photo: Karyna Piliuhina.
A servicemember near anti-drone nets. Slobozhanshchyna. August 2025. Photo: Karyna Piliuhina.
A servicemember trains during a break between duties at an improvised sports ground, where burned mines and spent shells are used as weights. Snake Island. August 2025. Photo: Karyna Piliuhina.
Servicemembers of the 4th Battalion of the Khartiia Brigade near a ground-based robotic system. Slobozhanshchyna. August 2025. Photo: Karyna Piliuhina.
A servicemember of the 13th Operational “Khartiia” Brigade of the National Guard of Ukraine looks out from a dugout. Slobozhanshchyna. August 2025. Victory Units project. Photo: Karyna Piliuhina.
A servicewoman working in the southern operational direction. August 2025. Photo: Nick Zavilinskyi.
A contact improvisation practice during an art residency at MC6 Residence. Slavske, the Carpathians. August 2025. Photo: Sofia Soliar.
Ukraїner volunteer Traian Musetescu with his dog against a mountain backdrop. Slavske, the Carpathians. August 2025. Photo: Sofia Soliar.
The Carpathians after rain. Slavske, the Carpathians. August 2025. Photo: Olha Oborina.
The music ensemble Stratynski Muzyky during a residency at MC6 Residence. Slavske, the Carpathians. August 2025. Photo: Sofia Soliar.
The Ukraїner community at the annual volunteer camp. Slavske, the Carpathians. August 2025. Photo: Sofia Soliar.
Installation of the solo photo exhibition "And I Saw" by documentary photographer Oleksandr Glyadyelov at Ukrainian House. Kyiv. August 2025. Photo: Artem Halkin.
Children peer into the window of a ceramics workshop. Yaresky, Poltavshchyna. August 2025. Poltavshchyna expedition. Photo: Sofia Soliar.
A craftswoman paints ceramics. Yaresky, Poltavshchyna. August 2025. Poltavshchyna expedition. Photo: Sofia Soliar.
A boy with a buffalo. Yaresky, Poltavshchyna. August 2025. Poltavshchyna expedition. Photo: Sofia Soliar.
A ceramic artist at work. Opishnia, Poltavshchyna. August 2025. Poltavshchyna expedition. Photo: Sofia Soliar.
A peaceful rally on Khreshchatyk against the enactment of draft laws proposing increased liability for military personnel. Kyiv. September 2025. Photo: Khrystyna Kulakovska.
A view of the city of Sloviansk from Mount Karachun. Sloviansk, Donechchyna. September 2025. Frontline Towns project. Photo: Viacheslav Ratynskyi.
The Holy Dormition Sviatohirsk Lavra destroyed by Russia. Sviatohirsk, Donechchyna. September 2025. Photo: Viacheslav Ratynskyi.
A woman hurriedly carries belongings to a car as a volunteer arrives to evacuate her family, while an enemy drone flies nearby. Sloviansk, Donechchyna. September 2025. Photo: Viacheslav Ratynskyi.
Residents of Kramatorsk wait for their train to evacuate from the city. Kramatorsk, Donechchyna. September 2025. Photo: Viacheslav Ratynskyi.
Story: “Kramatorsk: An Attempt at Normality and Eighteen Drones.”
Ceramic artists prepare an oven for firing that will last all night. Myrhorod, Poltavshchyna. September 2025. Poltavshchyna expedition. Photo: Sofia Soliar.
A woman sells embroidered ritual towels at a fair. Myrhorod, Poltavshchyna. September 2025. Poltavshchyna expedition. Photo: Sofia Soliar.
Sowing season. Tarasenkove, Poltavshchyna. September 2025. Poltavshchyna expedition. Photo: Olha Oborina.
Service members of the Phoenix unit work with a Vampire drone. Slobozhanshchyna. September 2025. Victory Units project. Photo: Karyna Piliuhina.
Expedition producer and host Olia Shor wearing traditional Ukrainian attire. Kozubivka, Poltavshchyna. September 2025. Poltavshchyna expedition. Photo: Khrystyna Horyacha.
Recording a conversation with Vitalii Portnikov, journalist, public intellectual, and political analyst. Interviewer: Yuliia Tymoshenko — journalist and Head of Ukraїner. Kyiv. September 2025. What’s Next? project. Photo: Artem Halkin.
Tudora Arnaut, a Gagauz scholar, PhD candidate in philology, visiting researcher at the University of Oxford, translator into Turkish and Gagauz. She promotes her people’s culture and seeks to bring the voice of Ukrainian literature to the Turkic-speaking world. Kyiv. December 2025. Photo: Khrystyna Kulakovska.
Facade of the ethnographic collection museum "Drevo". Kozubivka, Poltavshchyna. September 2025. Poltavshchyna expedition. Photo: Sofia Soliar.
Ukrainian defenders returned from captivity burn the clothes they wore while being held in Russian captivity. Sivershchyna. October 2025. Photo: Yurii Stefanyak.
Residents drive along a street opposite the regional administration building, destroyed by shelling. Kherson, Tavriia. Frontline Towns project. October 2025. Photo: Viacheslav Ratynskyi.
Story: “Kherson: petals of roses and mines.”
Women inside a shelter. Kherson, Tavriia. Frontline Towns project. October 2025. Photo: Viacheslav Ratynskyi.
Story: “Kherson: petals of roses and mines.”
A residential building destroyed by shelling. Chornobaivka, Tavriia. October 2025. Frontline Towns project. Photo: Viacheslav Ratynskyi.
Story: “Kherson: petals of roses and mines.”
A mother and her four-year-old son wait inside their home while an enemy drone flies nearby overhead. Chornobaivka, Tavriia. Frontline Towns project. October 2025. Photo: Viacheslav Ratynskyi.
Story: “Kherson: petals of roses and mines.”
City panorama. Zalishchyky, Podillia. October 2025. Podillia expedition. Photo: Andrii Yakymenko.
A man places a piglet in the trunk of his car to transport it across the Dniester River by ferry. On the border of Bukovyna and Podillia. October 2025. Podillia expedition. Photo: Andrii Yakymenko.
Marian Pyrih, musician, founder of the bands Hych Orkestr and Pyrih i Batih, co-founder of the music project Chystyi Chetver (created together with his wife Yelyzaveta Pyrozhok), artist, and, since the summer of 2025, a service member. In the background is the Zhovtnevyi Palace, where the NKVD executed Ukrainian intellectuals between 1934 and 1937, whose poetry Marian Pyrih and his band perform as songs. Kyiv. October 2025. What’s Next? project. Photo: Khrystyna Kulakovska.
A group of pilgrims walking the Camino Podolico passes a section of road from Vinnytsia to Bar. October 2025. Podillia expedition. Photo: Olha Oborina.
Stonecutter Vasyl Kondrashko plays the bayan. Mala Pobianka, Podillia. October 2025. Podillia Expedition. Photo: Sofia Soliar.
Director of the Maliivtsi Regional Historical and Cultural Museum Anastasiia Donets on horseback. Maliivtsi, Podillia. October 2025. Podillia Expedition. Photo: Sofia Soliar.
Children play during a break at an underground school. Molodizhne, Bessarabia. October 2025. Special project with SavED (on restoring education in areas affected by Russian aggression). Photo: Taras Fedorenko.
Children play rock-paper-scissors while waiting for their parents after classes. Molodizhne, Bessarabia. October 2025. SavED project (on restoring education in areas affected by Russian aggression). Photo: Taras Fedorenko.
A power transmission line destroyed by combat operations. Podniprovia and Zaporizhzhia. November 2025. Photo: Pavlo Pashko.
Memorial service for Kostia Huzenko (call sign Krapka), service member of the 35th Marine Brigade and Ukraïner volunteer. Kyiv. November 2025. Photo: Sofia Soliar.
The third President of Ukraine, Viktor Yushchenko, in his office. Kyiv. November 2025. What’s Next? project. Photo: Yurii Stefanyak.
A road equipped with anti-drone nets. Donechchyna. November 2025. Victory Units project. Photo: Karyna Piliuhina.
A service member of the Nemesis Regiment launches a Mara reconnaissance drone. November 2025. Victory Units project. Photo: Karyna Piliuhina.
Entrance to a dugout. Donechchyna. November 2025. Victory Units project. Photo: Karyna Piliuhina.
Sheep grazing. Artsyz, Bessarabia. November 2025. Bessarabia expedition. Photo: Khrystyna Horyacha.
A filming crew during an expedition in Bessarabia. Krynychne, Bessarabia. November 2025. Photo: Khrystyna Horyacha.
Combat medic of the Nemesis Regiment, Olena Ryzh. Donechchyna. November 2025. Interviews with the Military project. Photo: Karyna Piliuhina.
A service member of the 24th Separate Mechanized Brigade named after King Danylo and documentary photographer Oleh Petrasiuk fire at a Russian FPV drone. Kostiantynivka, Donechchyna. Frontline Towns project. Photo: Viacheslav Ratynskyi.
A resident of a frontline city against the backdrop of destroyed houses on the eve of Christmas. Kostiantynivka, Donechchyna. December 2025. Frontline Towns project. Photo: Viacheslav Ratynskyi.
Goats in a frontline city. Kostiantynivka, Donechchyna. December 2025. Frontline Towns project. Photo: Viacheslav Ratynskyi.
Craftsman Mykhailo Shvets makes a Nadsiania Christmas star in his workshop. Dubliiany, Halychyna. December 2025. Photo: Sofia Soliar.
A procession of star-bearers during Christmas in Kyiv. December 2025. Photo: Andrii Yakymenko.
