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The Letter 'Z' is Appearing All Over Russia. Here's What It Likely Means.

theleftplace.substack.com

The Letter 'Z' is Appearing All Over Russia. Here's What It Likely Means.

Originating on Russian convoy vehicles, 'Z' has become a symbol for allegiance to Vladimir Putin in his aggression against Ukraine.

Ted Millar
Mar 20, 2022
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The Letter 'Z' is Appearing All Over Russia. Here's What It Likely Means.

theleftplace.substack.com

Image credit: letrag.com

If you have been paying attention to media coverage of the Ukraine/Russia crisis, you may have noticed what looks like a capital letter "Z" painted on Russian convoy vehicles.

Twitter avatar for @RALee85
Rob Lee @RALee85
I wonder if the "Z" is big enough.
Image
Twitter avatar for @Michael1Sheldon
Michael Sheldon @Michael1Sheldon
Full video https://t.co/YpMKmY7Ryo
10:36 PM ∙ Feb 19, 2022
632Likes68Retweets

That mysterious symbol is also showing up on billboards in major Russian cities, on some Russia supporters’ cars, and even on merchandise advertised on Russian state media RT.

Twitter avatar for @bbcworldservice
BBC World Service @bbcworldservice
The letter Z has been seen recently on Russian tanks, the shirt of a Russian gymnast, on cars and t-shirts and even pictured in the snow. So, how has the letter Z become a symbol and what does it represent? bit.ly/3vLhVRH
A serviceman of pro-Russian militia is seen inside a tank in the Luhansk region, Ukraine
Pro-Russian troops gather in a settlement in Donetsk region
A man walks past the symbol "Z" painted on a bus stop in support of the Russian armed forces, in Saint Petersburg
Russian military symbol 'Z' on a display board, St Petersburg, March 7, 2022
4:11 PM ∙ Mar 8, 2022
27Likes17Retweets

There is a staged photograph taken at outside a Russian children’s hospital in which people formed a “Z” (below).

Image credit: Angela Vavilova Foundation via independent.co.uk

Accused Russian spy Maria Butina recorded herself drawing a “Z” in white marker on a blazer.

Twitter avatar for @francska1
Francis Scarr @francska1
Just another day in the life of Maria Butina: Drawing a white "Z" marking on your lapel to show solidarity with the invasion of Ukraine
7:44 AM ∙ Mar 3, 2022
784Likes321Retweets

Some Russian loyalists filmed a video of themselves in identical black shirts brandishing the letter “Z” and a hashtag in Russian that translates to “We don’t abandon our own.”

Twitter avatar for @KevinRothrock
Kevin Rothrock @KevinRothrock
“we are not fascists! the ukrainians are the nazis! and here’s the video to prove i—ooooooh, okay. right right right right right.”
10:05 PM ∙ Mar 5, 2022
5,965Likes1,544Retweets

A Russian gymnast recently appeared in pictures beside Ukrainian athletes sporting a "Z" on the front of his uniform.

Obviously what some are calling the “zwastika” is pro-Russian propaganda.

But what does it mean?

It's interesting to note there is no letter "Z" in the Cyrillic alphabet.

The most popular theory from military personnel is that the Z represents "Zapad," meaning "west," where Russian troops are usually stationed.

Some state it is identification to avoid being attacked by so-called "friendly fire" since Ukrainian vehicles are from the Soviet era and look similar to Russian ones.

Others assume it has something to do with the name of Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskiy.

But while the most puzzling, "Z" is not the only letter seen on Russian vehicles.

The letter "V" is also on some, leading some to speculate it represents "Vladimir," as in Vladimir Putin.

The Russian defense ministry posted on Instagram that Z means "Za pobedu", “for victory”, and "V," “power of truth.”

Twitter avatar for @kamilkazani
Kamil Galeev @kamilkazani
It found a lot of supporters. Many Russians are putting "Z" on their cars - that's totally voluntary and to my best knowledge nobody's forcing them
Image
3:39 PM ∙ Mar 6, 2022
10,132Likes1,512Retweets

Some also report seeing letters O, X, and A.

Twitter avatar for @AricToler
Aric Toler @AricToler
Re: the "Zorro Squad", or all the Russian military vehicles that (starting today) have Latin Z's painted on their sides. Ruslan has been monitoring this stuff nonstop for 8 years and has no idea what they are, and hasn't seen it before. So, assume the worst, I guess/fear.
Twitter avatar for @RuslanLeviev
Руслан Левиев @RuslanLeviev
Многие спрашивают нас про этот «отряд Zorro», но я хз зачем они рисуют эту гигантскую Z на технике. Некоторые считают, что это знак для своей авиации, чтобы свои же не разбомбили. Но мы каждый день видим много передвижения техники и вот эта Z очень редко встречается.
12:17 AM ∙ Feb 20, 2022
650Likes225Retweets

Former director for the think tank Rusi, Professor Michael Clarke, explained:

"Often these symbols will be location-based—they will be communicating where a unit is heading. If they were only to mark the vehicles as being Russian, you could just use one symbol. The fact that they are different tells you more—they are probably signs which tell you which units are heading to the north-east or north-west of a district, for example."

According to Ukrainian military intelligence, "Z" stands for for Russia's Eastern Military District; "Z" with a box drawn around it represents Crimea; "O" means Belarus; "V," Marines; "X," Chechnya; "A," Special Forces.

Regardless of whether or not it is purely a means of identification, anti-Ukrainian some Russians have adopted it to express their disdain for Ukraine.

Twitter avatar for @kamilkazani
Kamil Galeev @kamilkazani
Russian military makes Z letters out of badges of killed Ukrainian soldiers
Image
3:44 PM ∙ Mar 6, 2022
10,119Likes2,226Retweets

This is perfect example of innocuous iconography being appropriated for propagandistic purposes, like Hitler stealing the swastika from the ancient Eastern symbol for well being.

American white nationalists also ruined the ubiquitous "okay" hand sign when they started using it as a clandestine symbol of solidarity.

The original "Operation O-KKK" post at 4chan.

Image credit: splcenter.org

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The Letter 'Z' is Appearing All Over Russia. Here's What It Likely Means.

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