Cannot insert JPG image in Writer or Impress: "Unknown image format" - LibreOffice 25.2.2 for Linux

I can’t insert a screenshot as I’m too new here… but for at least the last two versions of LibreOffice, I’ve been unable to insert ANY image into a Writer document or an Impress presentation. Doesn’t matter if it’s JPG, PNG, BMP… every attempted image results in the same bewildering popup:

Unknown image format

If an existing document already has an image in it, it displays just fine. I just can’t open a new project and insert any image. I’m running Kubuntu Linux 25.04 (although this also happened on Kubuntu 24.10).

PLEASE advise, as I really need to get this fixed. Thank you!

How do you try? Copy/paste or some insert media from the menu?

May have a look at the linked thread. Could be a problem with KDE

Thanks for the suggestions. If I insert the image from the menu, I get the “unknown file format”. If I try to copy an image from Dolphin file explorer and paste it into the document, it will simply create a write-protected, empty section in the document. As far as the KDE bug goes, it didn’t work in Plasma 5.x either. It’s crazy because I can copy/paste images everywhere else: email, messages, websites… just not LibreOffice. It’s hard, therefore, to point the finger at any other suspect than LibreOffice.

can you then copy/paste this image in the same document ?
to a new document.

please attach here these samples, and a screenshot with the