Russian drone kills French photojournalist in eastern Ukraine, military says

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(Reuters) -A Russian drone attack killed a French photojournalist on Friday in eastern Ukraine on the frontline of the 3-1/2-year-old war with Russia, the Ukrainian military said.

The Fourth Separate Mechanised Brigade, writing on Facebook, said photojournalist Antoni Lallican was killed in a drone strike. A Ukrainian photographer accompanying him, Hryhory Ivanchenko, was injured in the incident.

Both were wearing protective equipment and armoured vests clearly indicating that they were journalists, the statement said.

The head of the Ukrainian Union of Journalists, Serhiy Tomilenko, told Ukrainian media that Lallican had been killed near the town of Druzhkivka, one of the hottest sectors of the 1,250-km (780-mile) front line in Ukraine’s Donbas region.

The European Federation of Journalists said it was the first time a journalist had been killed by a drone in the conflict. It said 17 journalists had died in the combat zone since Russia invaded its smaller neighbour in February 2022.

The federation said Lallican, who was based in Paris, was on assignment for France’s Hans Lucas photo agency and had his work published in various European media outlets. French media said he had also worked in the Middle East.

“By targeting journalists, the Russian army is deliberately hunting those trying to document war crimes,” Tomilenko said in a statement. 

“For journalists, every trip to the frontline zone is a deadly risk. Antoni Lallican took this risk again and again, coming to Ukraine, travelling to Donbas, documenting what many prefer not to see.” 

French President Emmanuel Macron, in a post on X, expressed condolences to his family and to journalists placing themselves in danger while on assignment.

(Reporting by Ron Popeski; Editing by Cynthia Osterman)