2026 Portrait Series

Former Yemeni child soldier who was recruited by Houthis, Ahmed and his mother, pose for a portrait at their shelter, at an internally displaced persons...

Former Yemeni child soldier who was recruited by Houthis, Ahmed and his mother, pose for a portrait at their shelter, at an internally displaced persons (IDP) camp in Marib, Yemen, October 29, 2024. Ahmed said he was recruited by the Houthis at age 13 in Yemen’s highlands and later sent to a displaced persons camp in Marib. He described months of religious indoctrination and military training, including harsh punishments. Assigned to guard a weapons depot in 2022, he said he saw fighters divert UN aid. A Houthi spokesperson denied recruiting children or stealing aid.

A fighter with Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), poses for a portrait outside the Presidential Palace, following the ousting of Syria’s Bashar al-Assad, in Damascus, Syria,...

A fighter with Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), poses for a portrait outside the Presidential Palace, following the ousting of Syria’s Bashar al-Assad, in Damascus, Syria, December 16, 2024.

Samir, a displaced Yemeni man who said was injured in an attack on the port city of Hodeida, poses for a portrait while displaying the...

Samir, a displaced Yemeni man who said was injured in an attack on the port city of Hodeida, poses for a portrait while displaying the scar from his injury, at his shelter, at an internally displaced persons (IDP) camp in Marib, Yemen, October 30, 2024. He said aid arrived at the port but disappeared, and after he refused to join Houthi forces, his family stopped receiving aid.

A displaced Yemeni man poses for a portrait with his daughters at their shelter inside an internally displaced persons (IDP) camp in Marib, Yemen, October...

A displaced Yemeni man poses for a portrait with his daughters at their shelter inside an internally displaced persons (IDP) camp in Marib, Yemen, October 28, 2024.

A fighter with Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) poses for a portrait at a security and prison complex, while looking for records of his missing father,...

A fighter with Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) poses for a portrait at a security and prison complex, while looking for records of his missing father, following the ousting of Syria’s Bashar al-Assad, in Damascus, Syria, December 15, 2024.

Displaced Yemeni farmer, Abdul-Salam, poses for a portrait, inside his shelter at an internally displaced persons (IDP) camp in Marib, Yemen, November 1, 2024. The...

Displaced Yemeni farmer, Abdul-Salam, poses for a portrait, inside his shelter at an internally displaced persons (IDP) camp in Marib, Yemen, November 1, 2024. The Houthis, he said, gave people a choice: support them and get food or get nothing.

The Grandfathers Fighting on Ukraine’s Front Lines. Mykhailo Mendeluk, 52, Infantry, poses for a portrait at his regiment's base in Kherson in December 2024. “War...

The Grandfathers Fighting on Ukraine’s Front Lines. Mykhailo Mendeluk, 52, Infantry, poses for a portrait at his regiment's base in Kherson in December 2024. “War isn’t for old men. It’s the young who should be fighting, because I just can’t do it anymore,” he said. “I get out of breath, I can’t run, I can’t manage. And my memory. Really, I forget things all the time—probably from all the explosions.”

Mykola Voskres, 53, an artilleryman poses for a portrait at his base in Kostyantynivka on January 27, 2025. Voskres, who has five grandchildren, left his...

Mykola Voskres, 53, an artilleryman poses for a portrait at his base in Kostyantynivka on January 27, 2025. Voskres, who has five grandchildren, left his job working construction in Poland and signed up as a volunteer the day Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022. He thinks the sacrifice is worth it. “The younger generation of Ukrainians should focus on building their lives and preparing to rebuild the country after the war,” he said.

Artilleryman and gun commander Andriy Kukhar, 46, prepares to fire from a position near Chasiv Yar on November 17, 2024. “I may be of age,...

Artilleryman and gun commander Andriy Kukhar, 46, prepares to fire from a position near Chasiv Yar on November 17, 2024. “I may be of age, but I like to keep moving—sitting at home or in a headquarters isn’t for me,” he said.

Andrii Kukhar poses for a portrait at his base near Chasiv Yar on January 27, 2025. Kukhar listens carefully to the radio, awaiting his next...

Andrii Kukhar poses for a portrait at his base near Chasiv Yar on January 27, 2025. Kukhar listens carefully to the radio, awaiting his next instructions as he keeps an eye on his phone for news about his granddaughter back home.

Valentyn Ruzhitsky, 53, an armored personnel carrier driver poses for a portrait from a position in the Donetsk region on January 27, 2025. “I’m already...

Valentyn Ruzhitsky, 53, an armored personnel carrier driver poses for a portrait from a position in the Donetsk region on January 27, 2025. “I’m already an old man, I have health problems, and it’s physically hard for me to do my job. I could leave the army for medical reasons.” He has a granddaughter and grandson he hasn’t yet met.

Serhiy Ptashnyk, 47, an Infantryman poses for a photo at his home near Kyiv where he was on leave after an injury in December 2024....

Serhiy Ptashnyk, 47, an Infantryman poses for a photo at his home near Kyiv where he was on leave after an injury in December 2024. “After 40, your body starts to show it,” he says. “You need good eyesight to do surveillance, and I have really poor vision, so it was hard for me to be at an observation post. I worried a lot about the guys—God forbid I would miss something.”

Mykhailo Mendeluk, the infantryman, looks at his phone at his regiment’s Kherson base in December 2024. “I’d really like peace already. It’s time to end...

Mykhailo Mendeluk, the infantryman, looks at his phone at his regiment’s Kherson base in December 2024. “I’d really like peace already. It’s time to end this. Just to have some peace, even for a while.”

Viktor Bilous, 58, a driver for a drone unit, poses for a portrait at his base in Druzhkivka on January 28, 2025. Bilous began the...

Viktor Bilous, 58, a driver for a drone unit, poses for a portrait at his base in Druzhkivka on January 28, 2025. Bilous began the war in the infantry fighting near Bakhmut when he was injured by a shell that landed less than 10 feet away, now he is a driver. A role many of the older soldiers take on.

Viktor Bilous, holds a photo of one of his grandchildren at his base in Druzhkivka on January 28, 2025. Bilous said that he didn’t think...

Viktor Bilous, holds a photo of one of his grandchildren at his base in Druzhkivka on January 28, 2025. Bilous said that he didn’t think twice when he joined the army in 2022, “knowing who the Russians are, what kind of force is coming at us, and understanding that they are coming to destroy us,” he said drove him to volunteer.

Mykola Mykolayovych Yarko, 59, is the Chief Sergeant in a reconnaissance unit and the the oldest member of his unit. “My reaction time isn’t what...

Mykola Mykolayovych Yarko, 59, is the Chief Sergeant in a reconnaissance unit and the the oldest member of his unit. “My reaction time isn’t what it used to be,” he said, “But I keep going, I hold on. I have a lot of experience, many years of service behind me.” “Young people can’t do everything. They think differently. With age, you start seeing things in a simpler way. Psychologically, we’re more stable. The young get mentally exhausted faster. They just don’t have enough life experience yet,” Mykolyovych said. Here he poses for a portrait at his regiment’s base in Kherson in December 2024.

An egg-sorting hall worker stands against a background of transport crates. The poultry factory supplies eggs to almost the entire population of Yakutia.

An egg-sorting hall worker stands against a background of transport crates. The poultry factory supplies eggs to almost the entire population of Yakutia.