Due to its association with the war in Ukraine, the Z has become a
militarist symbol in
Russian propaganda and is used by Russian civilians to indicate support for the invasion,[9] further adopted later by Russian far-right organizations.[10][additional citation(s) needed] The symbol has subsequently been banned from public display in various countries, and its use has been criminalized by several European governments. Opponents of the war have pejoratively called the Z symbol a zwastika or zwaztika, in reference to the
Naziswastika,[16] or derisively in Russian and Ukrainian as ziga (Russian: зига), in reference to Sieg Heil.[20] Some Ukrainian officials and Internet users have referred to Russia as Ruzzia or RuZZia (Russian: Роzzия or РоZZия; Ukrainian: Роzzія or РоZZія),[25] replacing the letter S with a Z in reference to the military symbol.
Military use
Description
Russian military vehicles inscribed with a Z (and Z-boxed)
Various letters with corresponding meanings have been used by the
Russian Armed Forces during the
Russian invasion of Ukraine.[26] The form of the "Z" symbol is a reproduction of the
Latin letter Z, identical also to a capital Greek
zeta. The "Z" symbol is used instead of the equivalent
Cyrillic letter З (Ze) used in the
Russian alphabet, which has been described as peculiar, considering the symbol's later association with
Russian nationalism and pro-Putin politics.[27] This could be to avoid confusion with the numeral of a similar form 3, which is also used in Russia. The invasion has acquired the nickname "Operation Z", derived from the "Z" symbol.[28]
Purpose
Some of the other letters inscribed by the Russian military on their vehicles including a V, an O, and an O with a diagonal stroke.
Military experts think the symbols are identifying marks used to reduce
friendly fire, similar to the
invasion stripes used in the
Normandy landings during
World War II.[2][29] Some military experts think the symbols help distinguish different Russian army groups 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 U.S. 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]
Since mid-March 2022, the "Z" began to be used by the
Russian government as a pro-war
propaganda motif,[9][42][43] and has been appropriated by pro-Putin civilians as a symbol of support for Russia's invasion.[40][44] 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).[45][46] The
Roscosmos director general,
Dmitry Rogozin, began spelling his surname as RogoZin (
Russian: РогоZин),[7][47] and ordered employees at the Russia-managed
Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan to mark equipment with the "Z" and "V" symbols.[48] Pro-Kremlin
Telegram channels have incorporated the letter Z in their names since the beginning of the invasion,[49] and Russian telecom authority
Roskomnadzor changed the handle of its Telegram channel to showcase the "Z" in its name.[50] Russian government agencies have also promoted the "Z" symbol in nationalist messages and videos on
VK.[51] The
2022 Moscow rally, held on 18 March 2022, which was used by president Putin to drum up support for the war, was officially called in Russia "For a world without Nazism" (Russian: «Zа мир без нацизма»), with Latin Z replacing Russian З.
Syrian soldiers contracted by Russia to join the invasion raised "Z" symbol posters while cheering in videos aired by Russian state media.[52] On 22 March 2022, Russia launched a
Soyuz rocket with the "Z" symbol.[53]
"Z" in ribbon of Saint George colors with hashtag #
СвоихНеБросаем (#SvoikhNeBrosaem; "We don't abandon our own")[27]
Other
Local authorities in several parts of Russia have organized
flash mobs in support of the invasion prominently featuring the symbol.[55] 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.[56][57] 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.[58] 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.[55]Amazon sold "Z" symbol products in the UK,[59] but took down the listings on 8 March after receiving public criticism and media inquiries.[60][61] The "Z" symbol was also used in pro-Russian rallies in Serbia during the invasion.[62] 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.[63]
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".[64] Police officers left "Z" markings while ransacking the building of the human rights organization
Memorial after its government-mandated shutdown.[65] The apartment of a member of
Pussy Riot – a protest art collective – has also been vandalized with the symbol.[65][66]
The Z symbol is sometimes also used with the O and V symbols to form "ZOV", another pro-war symbol, which resembles the Russian word "зов", which means "call forth [to war]".
The symbol has also been used for vandalism and propaganda purposes outside of Russia. In
Moldova, unknown vandals painted the symbols "Z" and "V" over crosses at the World War II
Heroes' Cemetery of Chișinău [
ro], on graves of soldiers of the Axis-aligned Romania which fought against the Soviet Union.[67][68] In
Latvia, unknown vandals spray-painted the letter "Z" twice on the
Bikernieki Memorial which is dedicated to the victims of
the Holocaust.[69][70]
The Russian language search engine
Yandex censored the search results for the Z symbol, not allowing symbols of
Nazism to be juxtaposed with it.[71]
During the unrest in North Kosovo in 2023, where Serbs are in the majority, the "Z" symbol was painted on Kosovo police and NATO peacekeepers' vehicles.[72]
Analysis
Kamil Galeev [
Wikidata] 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."[73] A number of critics have described the "Z" as a variant of
Nazi symbolism,[39][74] with some comparing it to the
Nazi swastika;[8][75] the symbol has been pejoratively nicknamed by some Internet users as the zwastika[16] and Zieg (or Ziega (
Russian: Zига) in Russian) from the Nazi salute Sieg Heil (which is often called "зига" ("siega") in Russian).[20] Some Ukrainian officials and Internet users started using the symbol to refer to Russia as Ruzzia or RuZZia.[25] 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.[76]
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."[77]
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.[78]
On 23 May, Russian diplomat
Boris Bondarev announced that he had resigned from his position in protest over the Russian invasion of Ukraine,[79] referring to the invasion as an "aggressive war",[80] saying that it was not only a crime against the Ukrainian people, but also "the most serious crime against the people of Russia, with a bold letter Z crossing out all hopes and prospects for a prosperous free society in our country".[81]
International censure
By 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.[82][59]
Estonia – in April 2022, a ban was issued by the
Riigikogu.[83]
Georgia – the ban of symbols is proposed by
Lelo for Georgia opposition party.[84]
Kazakhstan – the military symbols are prohibited from being shown on vehicles in public, with the WKO Police Department explicitly stating that "Z", "V", and "O" symbols are not permitted.[89][59][90][91]
Kyrgyzstan – police departments have restricted the "Z" symbol from being displayed on vehicles in public.[59]
Latvia – the
Saeima has added the "Z" and "V" symbols to a list of banned political symbols, like the previously listed
swastika and
hammer and sickle,[92][93] because they glorify military aggression and war crimes.
Lithuania – on 19 April 2022, Lithuania banned the "Z" and "V" symbols together with the
ribbon of Saint George.[94]
Moldova – since 7 April 2022, the symbols "Z" and "V" and the ribbon of Saint George are banned in Moldova.[95]
Poland – from 13 April 2022, "whoever uses or promotes symbols or names supporting the aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine shall be liable to a fine, restriction of liberty or imprisonment for up to 2 years".[96][97]
Ukraine – on 22 May 2022, the
Verkhovna Rada banned the symbols "Z" and "V" used to promote the 2022 invasion of Ukraine, but agreed with President
Volodymyr Zelenskyy to allow their use for educational or historical purposes.[98][99]
By organizations
Sporting
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.[100][101] On 17 May the FIG sanctioned Kuliak with a one-year ban, ending May 17, 2023 or six months after the ban on Russian athletes is lifted and ruled that he is to be stripped of his bronze medal and prize money.[102]
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.[103]
Business
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,[104]Zurich Insurance (which suspended the use of its logo containing an encircled "Z" on
social media),[105] and
Samsung Electronics (which has re-branded several
Samsung Galaxy Z-brand smartphones when promoted in the
Baltic states).[106][107] 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.[108][109]
In
Lappeenranta, Finland, after receiving complaints by local residents, a transport company decided to change the "Z" route of its buses into "X", to avoid associations with the Russian invasion of Ukraine due to the Z letter being used in Russian propaganda.[110]
In April 2022, Singaporean transportation company
ComfortDelGro announced that they would remove the "Z" letter from its Zig Booking App in order to prevent "possible misunderstandings" with the Russian military symbol.[111]
In June 2022, Japanese low-cost airline
Zipair Tokyo announced that the large letter "Z" on the tail of all its planes would be replaced with a green geometric pattern to avoid confusion with the Russian military symbol.[112]
^Polovinko, Vyacheslav (8 March 2022).
Как достать соседей [How to annoy the neighbors]. Novaya Gazeta (in Russian).
Archived from the original on 12 March 2022. Retrieved 12 March 2022.