- Category
- Latest news
Cannes Film Festival 2026 Honors French Photojournalist Antoni Lallican Killed in Russian Drone Strike
- Authors
![Photo of Dariia Mykhailenko]( "Photo of Dariia Mykhailenko")
The 2026 Cannes Film Festival selection has been dedicated to the French photographer Antoni Lallican, who was killed in Ukraine, as well as to Lili Hinstin, the festival director who also recently passed away.
We bring you stories from the ground. Your support keeps our team in the field.
The tribute was announced by Thierry Frémaux, the festival's artistic director, during the official reveal of the selection.
This year’s festival features a broad range of international cinema, but notably, there are no Ukrainian films among the official selections, while Russian director Andrey Zviagintsev's film Minotavr has made the cut.
French photojournalist Antoni Lallican was killed near Druzhkivka, in Ukraine's Donetsk region, following an attack by a Russian FPV drone.
Ukrainian journalist and photographer Hryhorii Ivanchenko, a member of the Ukrainian Association of Professional Photographers, sustained injuries in the strike but his condition is reported as stable.
The death was confirmed on October 3, 2025 by Ukraine’s 4th Separate Heavy Mechanized Brigade, which stated that both journalists were wearing protective vests clearly marked with the word “PRESS” at the time of the attack.
“In a targeted attack by an enemy FPV drone, French photojournalist Antoni Lallican was killed, and journalist and photographer Hryhorii Ivanchenko, who was working with him, was injured. His condition is stable,” the brigade’s statement read.
Days later, French authorities have opened an investigation into possible war crimes following the death of Lallican.
The National Anti-Terrorism Prosecutor's Office has stated that the case will be managed by the Central Office for the Fight against Crimes against Humanity and Hate Crimes.
-72b63a4e0c8c475ad81fe3eed3f63729.jpeg "Photo of Cyril Barabaltchouk")
-605fb94b16c7688531017f1498906d4a.webp "Illustrative image. Russian Kilo-class submarine Krasnodar, accompanied by the tug Altay, moves through the English Channel, December 11, 2025. (Source: Royal Navy)")
