war in Ukraine
What does the “Z” stand for on Russian military vehicles?
Russian soldiers in a military vehicle. The uniformed men are on their way to the Perekop checkpoint between Crimea and mainland Ukraine.
© Sergei Malgavko / DPA
The images of Russia’s troop deployment in Ukraine have been following us around the clock for a week. One detail makes you suspicious: A white “Z” is emblazoned on many Russian tanks and military vehicles – what is behind the symbol?
This article first appeared on RTL.de.
Russia has been attacking Ukraine for days now and is now stopping at nothing. What is becoming more and more noticeable are Russian tanks with the letter “Z”. Wild “Zorro” theories are already circulating on the Internet – but what is really behind them?
“Z” character has to do with “fratricidal war”.
Regardless of whether it is a tank, truck or amphibious vehicle – in recent days, all vehicles of the Russian army have been increasingly showing a large white “Z”, which is clearly visible on the vehicles. The special thing about it: In the Russian alphabet there is actually no letter “Z”. This is also fueling speculation on social media platforms. For example, network users believe it could be the name of a special unit or messages to Ukraine and the West.
For experts, however, such theories are just hot air. Rather, Russia wants to use the “Z” to stand out from the Ukrainian military. The military platform “SOFREP” writes that the “fratricidal war” necessitates the use of symbols. Because both Ukraine and Russia use military equipment that is similar. Military media write of a “common practice of using such markings to distinguish friend from foe”.
What do the other letters stand for?
In addition to the white “Z” there are several letters that are on the military vehicles. According to “SOFREP” they stand for the origin of the units. “V” stands for the Russian naval infantry, “O” for the units from Belarus and “X” for forces of Ramzan Kadyrov. Russian special forces can be recognized by the letter “A”.
When marked with a “Z” there are also different meanings. The units from the eastern military district are recognizable by a simple white “Z”, a “Z” in a square is said to stand for the southern military district such as the Crimea.