Photographer Daria Svertilova explains how she searches for ways to convey the pain of war in images without relying on obvious signs of tragedy — and why she never grows tired of speaking about the war to people who are tired of hearing about it.

On 10 October 2025, the names of the eight winners of the MYPH PHOTOGRAPHY PRIZE 2025 were announced. Established last year by the Mykolaiv School of Conceptual and Art Photography MYPH, the prize has become a launchpad for young Ukrainian photographers to promote their art in the difficult times of war. The winners receive not only awards and special gifts but also the opportunity to take part in an exhibition of their works.

Ukrainian and international photojournalists who show the world the truth about the war have been targeted by the Russian army from the very beginning. Kremlin propaganda labels documentarians as “mercenaries” and “propagandists,” while they are attacked on the roads, in dugouts, and in frontline hotels where the press typically stays.

Kherson is a frontline city located just a few kilometers from Russian positions, separated from the already occupied territories only by the river. Shelters in Kherson are not merely physical spaces — they have become a forced part of everyday life for its residents. Photographer Ivan Antypenko descended into the basements of apartment buildings, hospitals, theaters, and schools to capture what life in Kherson looks like underground. His photographs show the people who have remained in the city — for whom a shelter carries deeper meanings than simply a safe place.

The Russian army continues to destroy the energy infrastructure of Ukraine’s border and frontline regions. “In recent weeks, the enemy has changed its shelling tactics and shifted its focus from massive strikes on the Ukrainian energy system as a whole to concentrated attacks on its elements in specific regions,” said Vitalii Zaichenko, Chairman of the Board of Ukrenergo. On 10 October 2025, Russia launched a large-scale strike on Ukraine’s energy sector — exactly three years after the massive attack of 10 October 2022. Russia is also attempting to complicate transportation to frontline regions by targeting railway infrastructure. Beyond that, this week the Russian military struck a maternity hospital, a grain warehouse, port facilities, as well as energy workers, rescuers, and children.

Valentyn Kuzan is a portrait photographer who served as a photo correspondent for the public relations service of the 72nd Separate Mechanized Brigade named after the Black Zaporozhians. Before the full‑scale Russian–Ukrainian war, Kuzan worked on a large‑scale project called Cultprocess, photographing Ukrainian artists, and also created portraits for the Ukraїner expedition of people who survived the Holodomor. Since the beginning of the Russian invasion, he has been documenting the war.