International photo contest announced the winners and sparked a scandal.

42 regional winners from 59,320 photographs in 141 countries were announced by the International organization World Press Photo. Among the winners were two Russian photographers and a German author who filmed an injured terrorist from the so-called 'DNR'.

The jury emphasized that the photos of the winners are more than a document. In the 'Single Photographs' category from Europe, two works showcasing the war in Ukraine were highlighted. One of them is a photo by the German photographer Florian Bachmeier, and the other is a work by Nanna Geitmann, who presented a shot of an injured fighter from the terrorist 'DNR'.

Russian Winners

Russian photographers won the contest, which was a surprise considering the period of Russia's invasion and disinformation campaigns. Mikhail Tereshchenko won for a photo report on protests against Russia's influence, while Alyona Kardash received an award for a project investigating the psychological detachment of modern Russia from reality.

Response of Ukrainian Photographers

The results of the contest sparked discussions among Ukrainian photographers. Previous World Press Photo winner Yulia Kochetova criticizes the jury's choice, especially for the attention to the narrative about the 'Russian soul' and the display of photographs from a Russian agency during Ukrainian protests.

Photo documentarian Serhiy Korovayny also expressed his disagreement with the jury's selection, calling it manipulative and inappropriate. He believes that awarding Russian photographers during the Russian-Ukrainian war contributes to a distortion of concepts and emphasizes compassion for the aggressor.

Position of UAPF

The Ukrainian Association of Professional Photographers expressed surprise at the results of the contest, deeming them inappropriate and supportive of the aggressor's position. They emphasized that such awards do not align with the purpose of the contest and promote compassion instead of condemning the aggressor.

Earlier, the Ukrainian embassy in the Netherlands reacted to the planned screening of the film 'Russians at War', considering it Russian propaganda.