A French photojournalist was killed by a drone while on assignment in eastern Ukraine on Friday, and a Ukrainian reporter was injured, according to officials and media organizations.
Antoni Lallican, 37, was working with Ukraine’s Fourth Armored Brigade near the front line in the Donbas region when the drone strike occurred, as reported by Ukrainian authorities.
Ukrainian journalist Georgiy Ivanchenko sustained injuries in the same incident, which both Ukraine’s military and French President Emmanuel Macron attributed to Russian forces.
Lallican, who had won numerous awards for his work that had been published in prominent French and international outlets, is noted by the European and International Federations of Journalists as the first journalist to be killed by a drone during the ongoing war in Ukraine.
Since Russia began its large-scale invasion in February 2022, at least 17 journalists have been reported killed in Ukraine, according to these organizations. UNESCO has recorded the number of fatalities at 22, including AFP video journalist Arman Soldin, who was killed by rocket fire in 2023.
Macron expressed his “deep sadness” over Lallican’s death, which comes at a time of heightened tensions between Russia and Ukraine’s European allies.
Ukrainian authorities indicated that Lallican and Ivanchenko were near Druzhkivka, approximately 20 kilometers (12 miles) from the front line in the Donetsk region.
“Both journalists were equipped with personal protective gear, and their bulletproof vests displayed ‘PRESS’,” stated the Fourth Armored Brigade on Facebook.
Ivanchenko’s condition has been reported as stable.
The press freedom organization Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has called for an immediate investigation into the incident.
Lallican “lost his life while fulfilling his duty to document the realities of war,” commented RSF’s director general, Thibaut Bruttin.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiga accused Russia of “systematically targeting journalists,” labeling it as “a heinous crime and a breach of international humanitarian law.”
The European and International Federations of Journalists condemned the act, classifying it as a “war crime.”
Lallican, who was based in Paris, reported on global news events for outlets such as Le Monde in France and Der Spiegel in Germany.
The French news platform Mediapart, where he contributed, recognized him as a “remarkable photographer and an outstanding colleague.”
The Hans Lucas photography agency, where he also worked, noted that he was a frequent visitor to Ukraine and was familiar with the landscape.
“He captured the siege of Kyiv and has continued to depict the harsh realities of war and its impact on civilians,” the agency stated.
Initially studying pharmacy, Lallican shifted to photography at the age of 30 following a trip to Kashmir, where he witnessed clashes between independence fighters and Indian forces, as he recounted to the French newspaper L’Est Republicain last year.
“That sparked my passion for news photography,” he mentioned.
His assignments took him to conflict zones in Sudan, Syria, Lebanon, Israel, and the Palestinian territories.
He described war photography as “a highly dangerous profession that requires extensive preparation and constant vigilance,” during a festival in 2022.
When not abroad, Lallican focused on issues like inadequate housing in Paris.
He received the Victor Hugo award for “committed photography” last year.
