Karine Pierre

Freelance photographer based in Paris

@womenphotograph
@StudioHansLucas

[Karine Pierre @_KarinePierre_]

Deeply honored! Thank you so much to #PrixLucasDolega #LaSAIF and #RSF 🍃
#PrixPhoto #photojournalism #photography #RSFAwards2023

[RSF @RSF_inter]

@cdeloire @avalaina @ccl_ua @EU_Commission @VeraJourova @ElkadiIhsane @ChepeZamora @HKJA_Official @evimsofian @LALTERNATIVEJ @Faouzia_Hariche @christogrozev @JPBarrientosH @amaBhungane @nasoskook @pierrehaski @Benazir_Shah @ihecs @_KarinePierre_ @RobinTutenges @vautier_adrien #RSFAwards2023: Congratulations to @_KarinePierre_,  laureate for the 2023 “Lucas Dolega-SAIF” Photo Prize.

[Andrii Sybiha 🇺🇦 @andrii_sybiha]

Almost a day passed and Russia still hasn’t provided any plausible evidence to its accusations of Ukraine’s alleged “attack on Putin’s residence.” And they won’t. Because there’s none. No such attack happened.

We were disappointed and concerned to see the statements by Emirati, Indian, and Pakistani sides expressing their concerns regarding the attack that never happened.

It is even more surprising given that all three states failed to issue any official statements when a real Russian missile struck the real Ukrainian government building on September 7, 2025.

Russia has a long record of false claims — it’s their signature tactic. For instance, Russia claimed it wouldn’t attack Ukraine in the beginning of 2022. They also often accuse others of what they themselves plan to do. Their words should never be taken at face value.

Such reactions to Russia’s baseless manipulative claims only play into Russian propaganda and encourage Moscow for more atrocities and lies.

We call on all states to act responsibly and refrain from responding to unverified claims — this undermines the constructive peace process that has been advancing lately.

[Serhii Antonov @13serhi]

🧵1/5 Russian propaganda often manipulates the fact that the Russian language is widespread in Ukraine, especially in the eastern and southern regions. It claims that Russian-speaking people are Russians, and therefore these regions are ethnically Russian.
In this thread, I'll break down why Russian-speaking Ukrainians appeared and how this situation is changing right now. I'll share my own observations from Donbas before 2014 and how the language landscape has shifted in Ukraine today. I'll also provide historical facts about how the Ukrainian language was suppressed over the past centuries—but still survived. And finally, it will become clear why Russia is, now as always, interested in destroying Ukrainian culture 👇

[Bertrand Leblanc-Barbedienne @_Bertrand_LB]

🎶 Il paraît que ce petit bijou d'animation a été vu pas moins de 161 millions de fois depuis 2018. Je n'en avais pas eu l'occasion et me suis régalé. Peut-être que vous vous régalerez itou ! (surtout si vous aimez la 5ème de Beethoven). 🎶
https://t.co/DwY9tgTKoz

[Bohdan Krotevych @BohdanKrotevych]

On “negotiations.” It is important to finally call things by their proper names.

What russia calls a “peace process” is in fact a separate special operation against the West. Its goal is not to end the war, but to force the United States and Europe to pressure Ukraine, while russia continues fighting and preparing for a new phase.

russia has never conducted negotiations as a means of achieving peace. Not in 2014, not in Minsk, not in Istanbul. In every case, “negotiations” were either a way to buy time, a way to legalize what had been seized, or a way to shift responsibility away from itself. For the kremlin, negotiations are not an alternative to war, but another tool of it.

And this is not a “putin invention.” russia’s imperial logic has been documented since the 18th century. The so-called “Testament of Peter I” — a programmatic text of russian expansion — explicitly defined war as the only normal state of the empire. It clearly states: keep the population in a state of continuous war, allow rest only to rebuild the army and finances, use peace to prepare for war, and war to impose peace on one’s own terms.

Poland is addressed as a separate point in this “testament.” Not as a neighbor or partner, but as a state that must be systematically undermined from within. To support constant unrest, bribe elites, influence elections, introduce troops “temporarily,” and, when conditions allow, leave them there permanently. If other European states interfere, they are to be appeased by partially dismembering Poland — only to reclaim those concessions later. This is not metaphor or interpretation; it is a direct imperial instruction.

Thus, from the standpoint of russian imperial doctrine, Poland was never regarded as a sovereign state. It was seen as a space for manipulation, division, and control. That is why today’s kremlin hostility toward Poland — threats, information attacks, and talk of a “Polish threat” — is not emotional or reactive to modern Polish policy. It is a continuation of the same logic.

It is also telling that specific points of this “testament” directly concern Northern Europe and the Baltic region. russia was instructed to systematically provoke Sweden, push it toward war in order to obtain a formal pretext for territorial seizures. The Baltic direction was defined as strategic: access to the Baltic Sea not as defense, but as a mandatory condition for imperial growth. Peace in this region was viewed exclusively as a pause between wars.

The Baltic states and Sweden were never neutral in russian imperial thinking. They were always spaces of future pressure or war. That is why today’s russian military activity in the Baltic Sea, threats toward the Baltic states, and demonstrative actions near Sweden and Finland are not a “reaction to NATO,” but the continuation of a centuries-old behavioral model.

Germany was also explicitly named in the “testament” as a key object of constant interference — as the closest and most important state in Europe. The logic was simple: prevent Germany from becoming an independent center of power, constantly draw it into Europe’s internal conflicts, manipulate elites, and use economic and political ties for control. Today this logic remains unchanged: reliance on dependency, fear of escalation, “special relationships,” and the desire to preserve comfort at any cost. For the kremlin, a weak, hesitant Germany is strategically more valuable than any tank.

The only thing putin has effectively changed in this old “testament” is that he has clearly designated the United Kingdom as his strategic enemy. Where continental Europe was once the main object of imperial maneuvering, today London has become, in russian rhetoric and actions, the symbol of a force the kremlin considers fundamentally hostile — because of its support for Ukraine, its role in European security, and its refusal to trade peace for other people’s territories. That is why russia is waging a separate hybrid war against Britain — informational, subversive, and diplomatic.

Ukraine, in this scheme, is not even the primary addressee. All signals of “readiness for peace” are aimed at the West. The logic is simple: to show that russia is supposedly constructive, and that the war continues only because of Kyiv’s “unconstructive position.” This is a classic information operation shifting blame from the aggressor to the victim.

The key goal of this campaign is to force the West itself to pressure Ukraine — not to negotiate with russia, but to break Kyiv through “realism,” “fatigue,” and fear of escalation. All of this is happening in parallel with the buildup of military potential, including in the northwestern direction.

While the West talks about negotiations, russia is preparing not for peace, but for a prolonged war and the possible expansion of the conflict. This is how a state behaves when it dreams not of compromise, but of restoring an empire — with war as the norm and peace as a pause.

Ukraine is only one stage. If aggression is rewarded here, the war will move on — to where russian imperial doctrine has been looking for centuries. Ukraine’s capitulation under the guise of peace will not bring security to Europe. It will only bring the war closer to the Baltic Sea and make it inevitable.

Any pressure on Ukraine and its leadership from the West means only one thing: russia is successfully continuing its special operation — political and informational. Any Western country or politician who speaks of a “faster peace” at the cost of territorial losses, limitations on sovereignty, or imposed conditions on Ukraine is not acting as a mediator, but as an instrument of this operation. Such a “peace” does not stop the war — it only legalizes aggression and prepares the next one.

[Garry Kasparov @Kasparov63]

✊

[Emmanuel Macron @EmmanuelMacron]

Notre compatriote, le photojournaliste Antoni Lallican, accompagnait l’armée ukrainienne sur le front de la résistance.

J’ai appris avec une profonde tristesse son décès, victime d’une attaque de drones russes.

J’adresse mes condoléances émues à sa famille, à ses proches, ainsi qu’à tous ses confrères qui, au péril de leur vie, nous informent et témoignent de la réalité de la guerre.

[L'important @Limportant_fr]

Appel pour la libération des 20 000 enfant ukrainiens déportés en Russie, dénonçant «une opération délibérée d'effacement de l'identité» https://t.co/tPETvn2kxD #Ukraine

[Institute for the Study of War @TheStudyofWar]

NEW | Russian Occupation Update, March 31: Russian occupation authorities have intensified law enforcement activity in occupied areas of Ukraine since mid-March, likely in part due to Russian President Vladimir Putin's March 20 decree ordering Ukrainians living in occupied areas to obtain Russian citizenship or risk deportation. 1/2

Sevastopol occupation governor Mikhail Razvozhaev stated on March 29 that Russian law enforcement authorities in occupied Sevastopol conducted "preventative measures to control compliance with migration legislation" and searched 1,500 private homes.

The Donetsk People's Republic (DNR) MVD additionally conducted a raid in occupied Donske, Donetsk Oblast, on March 25 and inspected 1,500 apartments and 600 private homes in order to check residents' documents.

The March 20 decree stipulates that Ukrainian or "foreign" citizens living in occupied areas of Ukraine must either "regulate their legal status” or leave their homes, or else risk deportation.

Militarization of Ukrainian children also continues within occupied territories.

Ukrainian outlet Suspilne published an investigation on March 24 detailing how Russia is building a "Voin" (Warrior) training camp at the site of a demolished children's camp in occupied Mariupol, Donetsk Oblast. This will be the fourth such "Voin" military training camp in occupied Ukraine.

"Voin" camps are primarily intended to teach Ukrainian children basic military skills, such as small arms fire, tactical first aid, and drone operation, under the supervision of Russian veterans and active military personnel.

Ukrainian Luhansk Oblast Head Artem Lysohor noted on March 25 that upwards of 12,000 children in occupied Luhansk Oblast alone are undergoing military-patriotic indoctrination and military training in programs such as "Voin" and "Yunarmia” (Russian Young Army Cadets National Movement).

[Karine Pierre @_KarinePierre_]

@realDonaldTrump Shame !!!

[حسام شبات @HossamShabat]

This is Hossam’s team, and we are sharing his final message :

“If you’re reading this, it means I have been killed—most likely targeted—by the Israeli occupation forces. When this all began, I was only 21 years old—a college student with dreams like anyone else. For past 18 months, I have dedicated every moment of my life to my people. I documented the horrors in northern Gaza minute by minute, determined to show the world the truth they tried to bury. I slept on pavements, in schools, in tents—anywhere I could. Each day was a battle for survival. I endured hunger for months, yet I never left my people’s side.

By God, I fulfilled my duty as a journalist. I risked everything to report the truth, and now, I am finally at rest—something I haven’t known in the past 18 months . I did all this because I believe in the Palestinian cause. I believe this land is ours, and it has been the highest honor of my life to die defending it and serving its people.

I ask you now: do not stop speaking about Gaza. Do not let the world look away. Keep fighting, keep telling our stories—until Palestine is free.”

— For the last time, Hossam Shabat, from northern Gaza.

[BMGH 🇫🇷 🇪🇺 🇺🇦 @benoitmgh]

🔴 Confirmé, l' armée d' Ukraine est bien entrée suffisamment en profondeur dans l' Oblast de Belgorod en 🇷🇺
(sources occidentales et chaînes Telegram Z 🇷🇺 )

3 semaines de préparation, observation depuis plusieurs jours (nombreux signaux) et enfin la confirmation, la délivrance ...

Les objectifs :
- créer une zone tampon
- protéger Kharkiv et Sumy
- renforcer la position de l' 🇺🇦 avant des négociations
- un 2nd petit front en terre russe (ce n'est pas la taille qui compte, pour les "experts" de la guerre en m^2 ...)
- déstabilisation politique au sein du Kremlin et dans le commandement 🇷🇺

Pour rappel l'armée 🇺🇦 n'est pas encerclée à Koursk contrairement à un récit propagandiste très actif et largement relayé dans de nombreux médias 🇫🇷

(sources relayées aussi par The Economist et leur envoyé spécial)

[GeoInsider @InsiderGeo]

BREAKING: Norway considers large-scale civilian evacuation drills in Troms and Finnmark over fears of a potential Russian incursion. Mayor: "We cannot have a single Norwegian on the wrong side of the occupation line."

[Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський @ZelenskyyUa]

Russian strikes on Ukraine do not stop, despite their propaganda claims. Every day and every night, nearly a hundred or more drones are launched, along with ongoing missile attacks. With each such launch, the Russians expose to the world their true attitude towards peace.

Yet always—even under the most difficult conditions—our people can count on the immediate support of the State Emergency Service personnel, police officers, medics, utility workers, and all those who help to clear the rubble, extinguish fires, restore the destroyed, and most importantly, save and protect lives.

Last night, the Russians launched nearly 200 "Shahed" drones and decoy UAVs. A massive attack on the Kirovohrad region left 10 people wounded, including four children, and caused damage to homes, a church, and infrastructure.

I thank everyone who works on the ground and helps to eliminate the consequences of Russian terror. We thank those who are always on duty, at the forefront of saving lives. Everyone whose work is a pillar of strength for all of us, something that allows us to continue fighting and living, no matter what.

[Led By Donkeys @ByDonkeys]

Thousands of people are ditching Tesla. Here’s one of them with a message you can see from space.

Location: Black Rock Sands, Wales, UK

Led By Donkeys is 100% funded by small donations.

[Ed Krassenstein @EdKrassen]

Well, this is embarrassing.

Marjorie Taylor Greene tries to push Russian propaganda about Ukrainian nazis, and is completely shut down by Holocaust Historian and the Leading Scholar on Ukrainian Nationalism in America, Dr. Snyder.

[Karine Pierre @_KarinePierre_]

@elonmusk Where are the critical comments that tell the truth? Censorship! Free speech according to @elonmusk!

[Karine Pierre @_KarinePierre_]

@nicksortor @elonmusk The hacker group Dark Storm Team reportedly took responsibility for the attacks. The group is known.
According to Orange Cyber defense, Dark Storm Team has unconfirmed but "highly" likely links to Russia and "strong partnerships with other groups."
@elonmusk STOP LYING!!!

[Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський @ZelenskyyUa]

Today, all day long, work continued in the city of Dobropillya, the Donetsk region, following a Russian strike. It was one of the most brutal attacks, a combined strike carefully planned to cause maximum damage. Missiles, along with Shahed drones, targeted the central part of the city. Nine residential buildings, a shopping center, and stores were hit.

Unfortunately, eleven people have died—my condolences to their families and loved ones. Among the victims was a State Emergency Service worker. The second strike came while rescuers were already working. Fifty people were injured, all have received the necessary assistance. Among the wounded are seven children, with the youngest being a 10-year-old girl.

There were also other attacks today in the Donetsk, Kharkiv, and southern regions. In Kherson, FPV drones once again targeted civilians.

Russia continues to prove with its cruelty, day after day, that nothing has changed for them in Moscow – they are not thinking about how to end the war, but how to destroy and capture more while the world allows them to continue. Of course, we are doing everything we can to protect lives.

I am grateful to all the leaders, diplomats from partner countries, and civil society figures who support Ukraine, who condemned these Russian strikes, and who call things by their true names.

It’s important that we continue to coordinate all our efforts with our partners, ensuring effective defense and doing everything possible to bring peace closer.

[Karine Pierre @_KarinePierre_]

@Longtstanding Hi! Good to see you're ok! I hope to meet you next time. Take care!

[Karine Pierre @_KarinePierre_]

@POTUS Putin is killing Ukrainians ... with your help!!!