{"id":473030,"date":"2025-10-04T07:15:15","date_gmt":"2025-10-04T07:15:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/473030\/"},"modified":"2025-10-04T07:15:15","modified_gmt":"2025-10-04T07:15:15","slug":"macron-blames-russia-as-drone-kills-french-photojournalist-in-ukraine","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/473030\/","title":{"rendered":"Macron Blames Russia as Drone Kills French Photojournalist in Ukraine"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>A drone killed a French photojournalist on assignment in eastern Ukraine on Friday and wounded a Ukrainian reporter, officials and media groups said.<\/p>\n<p>Antoni Lallican, 37, was embedded with Ukraine&#8217;s Fourth Armored Brigade near the front line in the Donbas region when he was killed in a drone attack on the area, said Ukrainian authorities.<\/p>\n<p>Ukrainian journalist Georgiy Ivanchenko was wounded in the same attack, which Ukraine&#8217;s military and French President Emmanuel Macron <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/EmmanuelMacron\/status\/1974158898740527192\">blamed<\/a> on Russia.<\/p>\n<p>Lallican, an award-winning photojournalist whose work had appeared in leading French and international media, is the first journalist to be killed by a drone in the Ukraine war, said the European\u00a0and International Federations of Journalists.<\/p>\n<p>At least 17 journalists have now been killed in Ukraine since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022, according to the groups. UNESCO puts the number killed at 22.<\/p>\n<p>They include AFP video journalist Arman Soldin, killed by rocket fire in 2023.<\/p>\n<p>Macron voiced his \u201cdeep sadness\u201d at Lallican&#8217;s death, which comes at a moment of surging tension between Russia and Ukraine&#8217;s European allies.<\/p>\n<p>Lallican and Ivanchenko were embedded near the area of Druzhkivka, around 20 kilometers (12 miles) from the front line in the Donetsk region, Ukrainian authorities said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBoth journalists were wearing personal protective equipment, and their bulletproof vests had identification marks with the word \u2018PRESS\u2019 on them,\u201d the Fourth Armored Brigade <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/4ovmbr\/posts\/pfbid02529eUmHznt1hbSwuzM4H8FiGRWnT7ZaD2LpiQduh9cBx3HTwSE7hDgSqU7JFmJbNl?__cft__%5B0%5D=AZVXmE1gUCAS_ZmakILDCu2GSZlzPEUeAAtCyQMqjB_zNJ2udTFUshmLhE9RGN424KhaheZaKyQjc6amzK0eszVasY10L2M-NWsfjjUuxw7_DCt2NiCKsHKdVXg8rhAT4nnpm3bFiCujkkp3qhidUMh2lmm6JSgeU9B90eXmfskVEg&amp;__tn__=%252CO%252CP-R\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">said<\/a> on Facebook.<\/p>\n<p>It said Ivanchenko&#8217;s condition was stable.<\/p>\n<p>Free-press watchdog Reporters Without Borders (RSF) called for a swift investigation.<\/p>\n<p>Lallican \u201cdied while doing his job, bearing witness to the consequences of war,\u201d <a href=\"https:\/\/rsf.org\/en\/ukraine-rsf-pays-tribute-french-photojournalist-antoni-lallican-killed-drone-strike\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">said<\/a> its director general, Thibaut Bruttin.<\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/445746340_982604719939194_5244874804973076216_n.jpg\" alt=\"&#10;&#9;&#9;&#9;&#9;&#9;Georgiy Ivanchenko&#9;&#9;&#9;&#9;&#9; &#9;&#9;&#9;&#9;&#9;Ivanchenko's Facebook page&#9;&#9;&#9;&#9;\"\/><\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tGeorgiy Ivanchenko<br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tIvanchenko&#8217;s Facebook page<\/p>\n<p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\u2018Passion for news photography\u2019\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<p>Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiga said Russia \u201ccontinues to deliberately target journalists,\u201d calling it \u201ca heinous crime and violation of international humanitarian law.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The European\u00a0and International Federations of Journalists <a href=\"https:\/\/europeanjournalists.org\/blog\/2025\/10\/03\/ukraine-french-photojournalist-antoni-lallican-killed-by-a-drone-in-donbas\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">condemned<\/a> what they termed a \u201cwar crime.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Lallican, who was based in Paris, traveled the world covering international news stories for publications including Le Monde in France and Germany&#8217;s Der Spiegel.<\/p>\n<p>French news site Mediapart, where he had been a contributor, called him a \u201cformidable photographer and excellent colleague.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The Hans Lucas photography agency, where he also worked, said he regularly traveled to Ukraine and knew the terrain well.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe documented the siege of Kyiv and has not ceased bearing witness to the reality of war and its consequences for civilians,\u201d it said.<\/p>\n<p>Lallican studied to be a pharmacist, but switched careers at age 30 after a trip to Kashmir, where he saw independence fighters clashing with Indian army forces, he told French newspaper L&#8217;Est Republicain last year.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat awakened a passion in me for news photography,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p>His work took him to Sudan, Syria, Lebanon, Israel and the Palestinian territories.<\/p>\n<p>War photography is \u201ca very risky profession, where you need a lot of preparation, to always be on alert,\u201d he told a festival in 2022.<\/p>\n<p>When at home, Lallican documented issues such as impoverished housing in Paris.<\/p>\n<p>Last year, he won the Victor Hugo prize for \u201ccommitted photography.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>A Message from The Moscow Times:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Dear readers,<\/p>\n<p>We are facing unprecedented challenges. 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