"The targeted torture and killing of journalists must be stopped." This is the "Declaration of Perugia for Ukraine", which the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) and other journalists' associations from all over the world adopted a few days ago after a meeting in Umbria.

The statement is addressed to Vladimir Putin and the Russian army.

"The attacking, torturing and killing of journalists is abhorrent and must be stopped," it said.

“Those responsible must be held accountable and brought to justice under national and international law.

Malicious online attacks on news organizations and individual journalists must also stop.

We condemn in the strongest possible terms Russia's attacks on freedom of the press and freedom of expression in Ukraine.”

arrested and murdered

At least a dozen journalists have already been killed in the Ukraine war.

In the case of the Lithuanian director Mantas Kvedaravičius, it is known that Russian soldiers arrested him in Mariupol and then murdered him.

The reporters Mstyslav Chernov and Evgeniy Maloletka, who were able to flee the city, which has since been almost completely conquered and destroyed by the Russians, reported how the Russian army hunts down journalists.

"If they catch you, they will force you in front of the camera to say that everything you filmed is a lie," said Ukrainian soldiers who escorted the reporters to safety.

"All your efforts, everything you did in Mariupol would have been in vain."

Just one facet of annihilation

However, as we know at least since the Bucha massacre became known, the hunt for journalists is only one facet of the Russian army's “strategy”, which consists of nothing other than – annihilation.

Murder, torture, rape, looting, that's what characterizes this "army".

The Russian leadership not only describes the multiple, conclusive, independent reports about their actions as “fake”, without citing anything reliable themselves.

The Russian President even honors the "soldiers" who abused civilians.

The Russian Army's 64th Motorized Infantry Brigade, blamed for the atrocities in Bucha, is now allowed to call itself "Guards".

Its members had shown "heroism and bravery, determination and courage".

"The skilful and resolute action of all the personnel" of this brigade "during the military special operation in Ukraine" is "an example of the execution of military duties, of courage, determination and great professionalism," said Putin.

What he excels at is professional destruction.

Eyewitnesses and reporters report on their victims.

In the "New York Times" the reporter Carlotta Gall describes the "Month of Terror in Bucha" (Bucha's month of terror) and follows the stories of individual murders and acts of terrorism.

A mother who fetches a thermos of tea for her family is shot dead by a Russian sniper.

Two old women die in their home, one is hit by bullets on the doorstep, the body of her mentally handicapped sister is found huddled in the kitchen.

A young man is shot on Yablonska Street and spends a whole night struggling with death.

After the Russians left, local residents found the body of a woman in a fur coat in the potato cellar of her shed.

Underneath she is naked

These are the "feats" of Putin's "guard".

It is not surprising that everyone who reports about it is being hunted down.