Z (military symbol)

The Latin-script letter Z (Russian: зет, zet), sometimes also called Ziga (Russian: зига), similar to the Greek capital letter Zeta, is one of several symbols (also including "V" and "O") painted on military vehicles of the Russian Armed Forces involved in the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine. It is speculated that the Z helps task forces distinguish themselves from other allied or enemy forces.[1][2]

"Z symbol" redirects here. For other uses, see Z (disambiguation).

"Z" symbol
"Z" symbol (enclosed in a square)
"V" symbol
"O" symbol
Some of the most commonly seen symbols used on Russian military vehicles during the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine

Subsequently, it became a militarist symbol used in Russian propaganda[9] and by Russian civilians as a sign of support for the invasion. Outside Russia, the symbol has been banned from public display in several states. The "Z" symbol has been called a zwastika in the media, in reference to the Nazi swastika.[15]

Symbols

The following symbols and corresponding meanings have been used by the Russian Armed Forces during the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine:[16]

Photo Symbol (image) Symbol (text)
Z
🅉
V
O
O
Ø

The invasion has acquired the nickname "Operation Z", derived from the "Z" symbol.[17]

Greek letter zeta

The form of the "Z" symbol is a reproduction of the final Latin letter Z. At the same time, it is similar to the Greek capital letter zeta. They instead of the equivalent Cyrillic letter З (Ze) used in the Russian alphabet, which has been described as peculiar, considering the symbol's theme of Russian nationalism.[18]

Meanings

The "Z" has been used as a pro-war symbol to represent support for the invasion despite the ambiguity of its meaning.[19][20]

On Instagram, the Russian Ministry of Defence (MoD) posted on 3 March that the "Z" symbol is an abbreviation of the phrase "for victory" (Russian: за победу, romanized: za pobedu), while the "V" symbol stands for "Our strength is in truth" (Russian: сила в правде, romanized: sila v pravde) and "The task will be completed" (Russian: задача будет выполнена, romanized: zadacha budet vypolnena).[21][22][23] The MoD later suggested alternative meanings for "Z", including "For peace" (Russian: за мир, romanized: za mir), "For truth" (Russian: за правду, romanized: za pravdu), and the letter Z inside the English words demilitarization and denazification, which Russian President Vladimir Putin has asserted to be the purpose of the invasion.[24][25]

Another interpretation for "Z" is the Russian word for west (Russian: запад, romanized: zapad), to designate the Western Military District or west-bound infantry, or more generally to underline the Kremlin's imperial ambitions, with the "V" symbol similarly standing for the word for east (Russian: восток, romanized: vostok).[26][27][28] This term was used in the joint Zapad 2021 exercise between Belarus and Russia before the invasion.

Usage

Military use

Some military experts have hypothesized that the symbols are identifying marks used to reduce friendly fire, and have compared the symbols to invasion stripes used in the Normandy landings during World War II.[2][29] Other military experts have hypothesized that the symbols are used to help distinguish different task forces from one another, with former Royal United Services Institute director Michael Clarke saying that "often these symbols will be location-based: they will communicate where the unit is going" and pointing to the American military's use of chevrons during the 2003 invasion of Iraq.[30] The latter theory was confirmed by Russian veteran Sergey Kuvykin, who indicated in an interview with Life that symbols including "a 'Z' in a square, a 'Z' in a circle, a 'Z' with a star or simply 'Z' on its own" have been used to tell teams apart.[31]

Russian vehicles along the Russia–Ukraine border displayed the "Z" symbol during the 2021–2022 Russo-Ukrainian crisis in the weeks before the invasion.[32] During the Battle of Kharkiv, local residents used the "Z" symbols to identify Russian vehicles and track their locations on Telegram.[33]

Use as a pro-war symbol
Residents of Khabarovsk, including Young Guard of United Russia members, arranged in "Z" formation, as organized by the city administration and the United Russia party.[34]
Russian Ministry of Defence poster with "V" symbol and motto "Our strength is in truth"
"Z" in ribbon of Saint George colors with hashtag #СвоихНеБросаем (#SvoikhNeBrosaem; "We don't abandon our own")[18]

Since mid-March, the "Z" began to be used by the Russian government as a pro-war propaganda motif,[9] and has been appropriated by pro-Putin civilians as a symbol of support for Russia's invasion.[27][35] Governor Sergey Tsivilyov of Kuzbass (Russian: Кузбасс) changed the name of the region to a hybrid word that replaced the lowercase Cyrillic letter з with the capital Latin letter Z (Russian: КуZбасс, romanized: KuZbass).[36][37] The Roscosmos director general, Dmitry Rogozin, began spelling his surname as RogoZin (Russian: РогоZин),[7][38] and ordered employees at the Russia-managed Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan to mark equipment with the "Z" and "V" symbols.[39] Pro-Kremlin Telegram channels have incorporated the letter Z in their names since the beginning of the invasion,[40] and Russian telecom authority Roskomnadzor changed the handle of its Telegram channel to showcase the "Z" in its name.[41] Russian government agencies have also promoted the "Z" symbol in nationalist messages and videos on VK.[42] Syrian soldiers contracted by Russia to join the invasion raised "Z" symbol posters while cheering in videos aired by Russian state media.[43] On 22 March 2022, Russia launched a Soyuz rocket with the "Z" symbol.[44]

Local authorities in several parts of Russia have organized flash mobs in support of the invasion prominently featuring the symbol.[45] On social media, propaganda videos have been shared depicting flash mobs consisting of pro-war youth activists wearing black shirts decorated with the "Z" symbol and shouting, "For Russia, for Putin!", alongside the #СвоихНеБросаем (transl. #WeDon'tAbandonOurOwn) hashtag.[46][47] In a social media video, State Duma member Maria Butina drew a "Z" on her jacket to show support for the invasion and encouraged others to do so as well.[48] Russian state-controlled broadcaster RT has sold merchandise featuring the symbol as a show of support for Russian forces, often with a texture taken from the ribbon of Saint George.[45] Amazon sold "Z" symbol products in the UK,[49] but took down the listings on 8 March after receiving public criticism and media inquiries.[50][51] The "Z" symbol was also used in pro-Russian rallies in Serbia during the invasion.[52] In Venezuela, Chavista groups included the "Z" symbol in a mural in the Catia parish, in Caracas, depicting and supporting Vladimir Putin and late Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez.[53]

Anti-war activists in Russia have seen their property defaced with graffiti containing the "Z" symbol. Russian film critic Anton Dolin, whose door was marked with the symbol, compared the "Z" to the zombie action-horror film World War Z (2013) and described the Russian army and pro-war activists as "zombified".[54] Police officers left "Z" markings while ransacking the building of the human rights organization Memorial after its government-mandated shutdown.[55] The apartment of a member of Pussy Riot – a protest art collective – has also been vandalized with the symbol.[55][56]

The symbol has also been used for vandalism and propaganda purposes outside of Russia. Such was the case in Moldova when members of the Russian minority of the country painted the symbols "Z" and "V" over crosses at the World War II Heroes' Cemetery of Chișinău.[57][58]

Reception
Russian diaspora protests against the war in Ukraine (Kraków, 20 March 2022). The sign reads: 'Stop killing children, shame on Z-fascists'.

Kamil Galeev of the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars said on 7 March that the "symbol invented just a few days ago became a symbol of new Russian ideology and national identity."[59] A number of critics have described the "Z" as a variant of Nazi symbolism,[26][60] with some comparing it to the swastika;[8][61] the symbol has been pejoratively nicknamed by some Internet users as the zwastika.[15] Also on 7 March, Ukrainian Minister of Defense Oleksii Reznikov condemned the use of the "Z" symbol, noting its resemblance to the name of the Station Z gas chamber of the Sachsenhausen concentration camp.[62]

In Novosibirsk, independent city councillor Khelga Pirogova told RFE/RL's Siberia.Realities: "I have been getting rather a lot of messages from residents who are asking that something be done about this symbol. They don't like it. It arouses in them anxiety, fear, and other negative emotions."[63]

On 25 March, Russian journalist Izabella Yevloyeva was charged under Russia's "false information" law after sharing a post on social media that described the "Z" symbol as being "synonymous with aggression, death, pain and shameless manipulation". Under a new law passed on 4 March, she could be sentenced to up to 15 years in prison.[64]

On 19 April 2022, Ex-Crimea Prosecutor Natalia Poklonskaya said that the letter Z "symbolizes tragedy and grief for both Russia and Ukraine."[65]

International responses

Governments
  •  Czech Republic – as part of a ban on publicly supporting the invasion, the Ministry of the Interior has classified the "Z" symbol as an equivalent to the swastika.[66][49]
  •  Germany – the Federal Ministry of the Interior and Community proclaimed that while the letter Z itself is not illegal, using it to indicate support for the Russian invasion of Ukraine can be a felony punishable with up to three years in prison. Lower Saxony and Bavaria had already begun prosecuting the use of the symbol before the federal decision. Berlin followed suit soon thereafter.[67][68][69] Since April 2022, the vehicle registration office in German city Herford is no longer issuing car plates with the letter "Z" because of the Russian invasion in Ukraine.[70]
  •  Kazakhstan – the military symbols are prohibited from being shown on vehicles in public, with the WKO Police Department explicitly stating that the "Z", "V", and "O" symbols are not allowed. The fine for a violation is 15,315 tenge (US$40.01).[71][49][72][73]
  •  Kyrgyzstan – police departments have restricted the "Z" symbol from being displayed on vehicles in public.[49]
  •  Latvia – the Saeima has recognized "Z" and "V" as symbols glorifying military aggression and war crimes and therefore banned their use in public events just like the swastika and the hammer and sickle.[74][75]
  •  Lithuania – on 19 April 2022, Lithuania banned the "Z" and "V" symbols together with the ribbon of Saint George.[76]
  •  Moldova – the symbols "Z" and "V" and the ribbon of Saint George are banned in Moldova since 7 April 2022.[77]
  •  Poland – from 13 April 2022, "whoever uses or promotes symbols or names supporting the aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine shall be subject to a fine, the penalty of restriction of liberty or imprisonment for up to 2 years".[78][79]

Sports

While participating in the 2022 FIG Artistic Gymnastics World Cup series during the invasion, Russian gymnast Ivan Kuliak wore a shirt with a taped-on "Z" symbol while standing beside Ukrainian gymnast Illia Kovtun on the podium. Kovtun won the gold medal, while Kuliak won the bronze. The International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) denounced Kuliak's "shocking behaviour" and stated that it would request "disciplinary proceedings" against Kuliak from the Gymnastics Ethics Foundation. On 7 March, the FIG banned Russian and Belarusian gymnasts and officials from taking part in its competitions.[80][81]

Esports

Virtus.pro professional Dota 2 esports player Ivan "Pure" Moskalenko allegedly drew the "Z" on the game map during a qualifying match for the Dota Pro Circuit. After drawing criticism from the community, the team was disqualified from the circuit.[82]

Products and commerce

For sensitivity reasons, several companies have voluntarily removed uses of the letter Z from logos and product names, even if they predate the invasion, including Latvian armored vehicle manufacturer Dartz,[83] Zurich Insurance (which suspended the use of its logo containing an encircled "Z" on social media),[84] and Samsung Electronics (which has re-branded several Samsung Galaxy Z-brand smartphones when promoted in the Baltic states).[85][86] In March 2022, Ocado launched a new sub-division called Zoom, which had a 'Z' logo that had to be changed, after social media users said it looked like the Russian symbol.[87][88]

The fictional character Zorro has associations with the display of the letter Z which predate the war. On 22 March 2022, Zorro Productions, Inc. issued a statement saying: "Zorro and his 'Z' have represented the pursuit of justice and defense of the persecuted throughout his 100-year history. Zorro stands in solidarity with the people of Ukraine, and all those seeking justice."[89][90] In April, the Russian Overwatch character Zarya had two pre-existing outfits redesigned to remove Zs from them.[91]

In the 1973 Soviet cartoon Treasures of Sunken Ships by Soyuzmultfilm, a sunken ship contains a symbol similar to the Russian Z-symbols, and one of the cartoon's characters explains its meaning: "fascist destroyers were denoted by the letter Z".[92] Soyuzmultfilm's YouTube account restricted the cartoon's video on YouTube and closed its comments section.[92]

See also

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