Posted on 03/07/2022 6:08:53 AM PST by Red Badger
In the days before Russia’s all out invasion, white Z’s started showing up on Russian military hardware. Now they are everywhere.
What started out as curious markings slapped in white paint on Russian tanks and trucks has now become a symbol of Vladimir Putin’s own version of World War Z.
Now, the “Z” has become akin to a new “swastika” or symbol of hatred and is showing up everywhere supporters of Russia’s uninvited invasion of Ukraine can be found.
Kamil Galeev, a Galina Starovoitova Fellow at Woodrow Wilson Center, has been curating examples of the creepy character’s use on Twitter. “‘Z’ is a letter that Russian Military are putting on their vehicles departing to Ukraine. Some interpret ‘Z’ as ‘Za pobedy’ (for victory). Others - as ‘Zapad’ (West). Anyway, this symbol invented just a few days ago became a symbol of new Russian ideology and national identity,” he tweeted before the invasion. Now Galeev believes the symbol means Putin has taken a page out of the world’s worst tyrants, including Benito Mussolini. “To put it simply, it’s going full fascist,” he tweeted. “Authorities launched a propaganda campaign to gain popular support for their invasion of Ukraine and they're getting lots of it.”
Let's discuss what's happening in Russia. To put it simply, it's going full fascist. Authorities launched a propaganda campaign to gain popular support for their invasion of Ukraine and they're getting lots of it. You can see "Z" on these guys' clothes. What does it mean? 🧵 pic.twitter.com/F2zjcpJCDZ
— Kamil Galeev (@kamilkazani) March 6, 2022 Indeed, the symbol, which is likely not directly tied to Mussolini’s fasces symbol which also sported a “Z” any more than it is a reference to the 2013 Brad Pitt film “World War Z” which premiered at the Moscow film festival that year—though it could be argued that Russian troops are not so different from the zombie invasion the film is based on.
But it certainly is gaining popular appeal. Over the weekend Russian gymnast Ivan Kuliak was seen wearing a white “Z” on his leotard as he stood next to Ukraine’s Kovtun Illia, who had just won the gold in the Gymnastics World Cup event in Doha.
Business owners put "Z" - showing their support of invasion on their trucks. Here you see a funeral service fully endorsing Z message pic.twitter.com/NM43dO1SrZ
— Kamil Galeev (@kamilkazani) March 6, 2022 Severely ill Russian children at a cancer center in the city of Kazan were reportedly made to line up in the “Z” formation for a photograph that has been widely distributed in social media. The badges of dead Ukrainian soldiers have also been photographed lined up in the “Z” formation, and the letter has shown up on flags, on trucks, and in convoys of supposed supporters of Putin’s war.
Here you see terminally ill children from hospice and their parents making a Z formation. Yes, Russians are forcing terminally ill children dying from cancer, and their families to declare their support to Russian invasion of Ukraine. See letters Детский хоспис? Hospice for Kids pic.twitter.com/3yeHMPWXl0
— Kamil Galeev (@kamilkazani) March 6, 2022 There is even a video of Russian spy Marina Butina, who pleaded guilty in 2018 to conspiracy to act as a foreign agent, drawing one on the lapel of her jacket.
It is difficult to say if the letter, which may have been first used to simply identify Russian military hardware to distinguish them from Ukrainian machines, has any other hidden meaning. The letter “Z” does not exist in Cyrillic Russian script, but it has now become the most prominent symbol of Russia’s senseless war.
Its a race to see which side can convince the world the other guys are nazis first.
Glad they decided not to ramp up the propaganda to ridiculous levels.
Zelensky might have to change his name.
Predictable.
Putin is a mad dog killer enabled by our worthless fake president. The whole situation is sickening.
Gee...Never thought of that.
So many lies, so much propaganda, I only think I know two things:
1 - The Ukrainian government is corrupt and has some uncomfortable ties with the worst elements in our government.
2 - Putin is a rotten SOB.
Anything else? It’s all just guess work because finding good information is like trying to find the truth about the covid jab.
I thought it was Zoro.
Could be Z for the end game = Zelensky
Putin is a Communist.
Putin is a Nazi.
Putin is a poopy-head.
Gotta be one of these.
The thing is, everyone’s actually a Nazi now, it’s just a matter of who you’re anti.
This article is beyond stupid.
The Founding Fathers were right. Government is, at best, a necessary evil.
The movie...https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0816711/
Triggered people will soon demand the letter “Z” is banned from the alphabet
A “Z”?
I may be wrong... But if it was a “Z”, and they’re Russians. Wouldn’t it be a “3” (no Cyrillic on this kb). That would make more sense.
In WWII, we didn’t want to be Nazis.
In WWIII, we will want to be Not-Zs.
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