Ukraine-Russia war: What does Z mean for Russia?
Russian gymnast Ivan Kuliak recently made headlines and is facing disciplinary proceedings by the International Gymnastics Federation for displaying the ‘Z’ symbol on his outfit, which he later defended saying he wanted to show his ‘position’.
But, he is not the only Russian to be seen sporting the staunchly pro-war emblem.
So, what does the ‘Z’ symbol mean for Russia?
Here is what we know.
Ukraine-Russia war: What does Z mean for Russia?
The ‘Z’ symbol first made headlines after it was seen on several Russian tanks near the Ukrainian border.
A military source from Kyiv, Ukraine, had told The Sun that the symbol was being used to distinguish their vehicles from their enemy’s.
They said: ‘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.’
It is still not known why Russia picked ‘Z’ as their symbol to mark their vehicles, but some think ‘Z’ could be standing for ‘Zapad’ which means ‘West’ in Russian. Others have suggested that it might be linked to the Russian version of ‘for the victory’ (За победу) which is pronounced ‘za pobedu’.
A recent post by the Russian defence ministry on Instagram appears to confirm the latter theory.
Their official account shared photos of Soviet soldiers and Russian soldiers, with the ‘Z’ super-imposed on them. And, right next to the symbol it said ‘for the victory’.
As weeks passed by and the conflict ensued, the ‘Z’ symbol became more than a mark on military vehicles.
Those who supported Russia’s actions in Ukraine embraced the emblem as a way to support the Russian invasion. They started putting it on their clothes, advertising it on billboards, and creating social media posts where items or people are lined up to form a ‘Z’.
For instance, in the Russian city of Kazan, a hospice took the terminally ill children they care for and their mothers outside during the snow to form the letter ‘Z’ and show their support for the invasion.
And, the head of the Kemerovo region, Sergei Tsivilev, announced that he will be renaming the region to add the letter ‘Z’ into its name.
Russia-Ukraine war: Everything you need to know
Since Russia's invasion of Ukraine began on February 24, the country has suffered widespread damages and loss of life amid a major bombing campaign.
An estimated 1.5 million refugees have fled Ukraine, as cities face shortages of food, water, heat, and medicine.
Countries have retaliated by imposing sanctions on Russia, with individual companies boycotting Russian products.
This has led to Russian President Vladimir Putin publishing a list of 43 ‘unfriendly countries’ who face economic restrictions for their sanctions.
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