The meaning behind the Z Russian military symbol

A new symbol of support for Russia’s war against Ukraine has emerged – a white “Z” often stylised to appear as if written in thick brushstrokes.

The letter, first seen on Russian tanks and military vehicles, has been co-opted by pro-war and pro-Putin groups in Russia and has been seen paraded on the signs and clothing of those who support the invasion of Ukraine.

Where does the letter come from?

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The “Z” symbol, which does not exist in the Cyrillic Russian alphabet, was first spotted on 22 February, “emblazoned on Russian military vehicles rolling into Ukraine’s Donetsk region”, said Insider.

Some have speculated that the symbol, “which appeared on tanks framed by squares, triangles, and other painted shapes”, could be a way to identify infantries, while others have suggested that it has a more symbolic meaning.

Kamil Galeev, a former Galina Starovoitova Fellow on Human Rights and Conflict Resolution at the Wilson Center think tank, tweeted that some interpreted the “Z” as short for “za pobedy”, which is the Russian term for “victory”.

Others say the “Z” describes where the unit will be deployed geographically – the symbol may be short for “zapad”, meaning “west”, meaning the unit may be west-bound.

According to a Ukrainian source who spoke to The Sun, the symbols are a way of distinguishing between Ukrainian and Russian forces in order to “avoid friendly fire once action begins”.

“It’s vital that any attacking force can be distinguished, particularly from the air where Russian forces will have complete control. The Ukrainians have very similar tanks and vehicles and will want to reduce the risk of friendly fire,” the source told the paper.

As the war in Ukraine looks to be increasingly “bogged down” and news of the increasing number of casualties starts to reach Russia, Putin’s supporters are “going to ever greater lengths to show their fealty to their leader and the regime”, said The Telegraph.

Who is using the symbol?

The symbol was first used “coyly” by only a “handful of people” to show their support for Russian soldiers. But it has seemingly gained “official support” from the Kremlin, helping it go “mainstream and international”.

In the city of Kazan, southwest Russia, the chairman of a cancer charity that provides hospice care for dying children “organised for the children and their mothers to line up in a giant ‘Z’ in the snow”, said the paper. He then photographed the stunt using a drone and posted it on the hospice website.

Elsewhere, “hundreds of cars dubbed with a ‘Z’ drove in convoys around Russia’s main cities honking their horns flying flags”, reported the paper.

And “two slickly produced videos” have also appeared on social media channels, which show hundreds of people in black sweatshirts emblazoned with the letter Z “waving flags and shouting their support for Putin and his war in Ukraine”.

The Russian gymnast Ivan Kuliak had the symbol taped on the front of his kit as he stood on the podium next to the gold medallist, Ukraine’s Illia Kovtun, at a gymnastics World Cup event in Doha, Qatar, reported The Guardian.

“The International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) confirms that it will ask the Gymnastics Ethics Foundation to open disciplinary proceedings against Ivan Kuliak following his shocking behaviour at the Apparatus World Cup in Doha, Qatar,” a statement from the ruling body said.

From today, all Russian and Belarusian gymnasts are banned from international competitions.