Here are some of the most compelling photographs from the 20th week of 2025 from around RFE/RL's coverage region. For more photo galleries, see our archive.
Photos Of The Week (May 12-18)
- By RFE/RL
1
Ihor Titovsky, a Ukrainian Azov officer who was released in a recent exchange of POWs with Russia
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2
The full moon sets behind the St. Isaac's Cathedral in St. Petersburg, Russia, on May 13.
3
Soldiers from the European Union Force Bosnia and Herzegovina (EUFOR) stand guard in Camp Butmir, a EUFOR base near Sarajevo.
4
Afghan Hajj pilgrims board a plane to Saudi Arabia at Kandahar airport.
5
The full moon sets behind Saint Isaac's Cathedral in central Saint Petersburg, Russia.
6
Students shout slogans as they express solidarity with Pakistan's armed forces during a school assembly in Lahore on May 12 after schools reopened following a cease-fire between Islamabad and New Delhi amid hostilities over the disputed region of Kashmir.
7
An Afghan farmer harvests opium from a poppy field on the outskirts of Faizabad district in Badakhshan Province.
8
A Serbian soldier holding a broom jumps over the red carpet ahead of a welcoming ceremony for European Council President Antonio Costa, in Belgrade.
9
People walk near an anti-tank barrier on Independence Square in the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv.
10
Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama welcomes Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during the European Political Community Summit at Skanderbeg Square in Tirana, Albania, on May 16.
11
A cemetery in Kyiv is pictured on May 15, which Ukrainians celebrate as Vyshyvanka Day (Folk Embroidery Day)
12
Ukrainians wear traditional embroidered shirts to celebrate Vyshyvanka Day in Kyiv.
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13
Cadets and young volunteers unfurl a giant replica of the Soviet Flag of Victory, during a continued observance of Victory Day in St. Petersburg, Russia, on May 15.
14
UKRAINE-CRISIS/MARINKA
15
A voter casts his ballot at a polling station in Persani, central Romania, on May 18, 2025, during the second round of the presidential elections.
16
The Ukrainian delegation, led by Ukrainian Defence Minister Rustem Umerov, attends a meeting with Russian delegation (not pictured) in Istanbul on May 16.
