French prosecutors have opened a war crimes investigation following the death of French photojournalist Antoni Lallican, who was killed by a drone strike while covering the war in eastern Ukraine.
Lallican, 37, was embedded with Ukraine’s Fourth Armoured Brigade near the Donbas front line when the attack occurred on Friday, according to Ukrainian officials. Fellow Ukrainian journalist Georgiy Ivanchenko was also injured in the incident, which both the Ukrainian military and French President Emmanuel Macron blamed on Russia.
France’s anti-terror unit, PNAT, confirmed that the case has been assigned to its Central Office for the Fight against Crimes against Humanity and Hate Crimes. Under PNAT’s mandate, war crimes include “deliberate attacks on the life and physical or mental integrity of a person protected by international humanitarian law.”
Lallican, a decorated journalist whose photography appeared in several major French and international publications, is believed to be the first journalist killed by a drone in the ongoing conflict.
According to the European and International Federations of Journalists, at least 17 journalists have died in Ukraine since Russia’s full-scale invasion began in February 2022. UNESCO places the toll higher, at 22, including AFP video journalist Arman Soldin, who was killed by rocket fire in 2023.
What You Should Know
Antoni Lallican’s death marks a grim milestone as the first journalist reportedly killed by a drone in the Russia-Ukraine war.
His death has prompted France to open a war crimes probe, underscoring growing concerns over the targeting of journalists in conflict zones.
