Antoni Lallican

Their life

Antoni Lallican, 37 was a Paris-based French photojournalist renowned for documenting armed conflict and its impact on civilians. He had been covering the war in Ukraine since March 2022, working across frontline and rear areas to capture the human consequences of the conflict. His photographs were published by major French and international outlets, including Le Monde and Le Figaro, and in 2024 he received the prestigious Victor Hugo Prize for committed photography. Lallican was killed while on assignment in eastern Ukraine during a drone attack, becoming the first journalist confirmed to have been killed by a drone in the Ukraine war.Antoni Lallican, 37, was a French photojournalist based in Paris whose work appeared in major French and international outlets, including Le Monde, Der Spiegel, and Mediapart. An award-winning photographer, he was known for documenting armed conflicts and humanitarian crises around the world. Lallican was killed while on assignment in eastern Ukraine during a drone attack, becoming the first journalist confirmed to have been killed by a drone in the Ukraine war.

Antoni Lallican was an award-winning French photojournalist based in Paris whose work focused on armed conflict, humanitarian crises, and the lives of civilians caught in war. He began documenting the war in Ukraine in March 2022, shortly after Russia launched its full-scale invasion, and returned repeatedly to the country to report from both frontline and rear areas. His photography traced the human cost of war, portraying displaced families, elderly civilians who refused to leave their homes under bombardment, and soldiers living and fighting at the front.

Lallican’s work was widely published by leading media outlets, including Le Monde, Le Figaro, and other international publications, and he collaborated with the Hans Lucas photo agency. In recognition of his commitment to socially engaged journalism, he was awarded the Victor Hugo Prize for photography in 2024. Colleagues described him as a dedicated and courageous reporter who knew the terrain of eastern Ukraine well and took great care to document events accurately and ethically.

On 3 October 2025, while embedded with Ukraine’s 4th Mechanised Brigade near the village of Komyshuvakha in the Donetsk region, Lallican was killed instantly in a drone strike. He and his Ukrainian colleague were wearing protective equipment clearly marked “PRESS” at the time of the attack. His death was widely condemned by journalist organizations, media outlets, and political leaders, and it underscored the extreme dangers faced by journalists reporting from modern conflict zones.

How they died

He was killed by a drone attack while on assignment near the front line in eastern Ukraine.

Antoni Lallican was killed by a drone strike while embedded with the Ukrainian military near the front line in eastern Ukraine. Ukrainian authorities and French President Emmanuel Macron stated that the attack was carried out by Russian forces. Lallican and another journalist were wearing protective gear clearly marked “PRESS” at the time of the attack.

Why we remember them

This record exists so that Antoni Lallican, and all who are named in this archive, are never reduced to a number.

References & sources