There is no Z in the Cyrillic alphabet. Only Ze last time I looked. There are explanations out there that say that the symbol Z on Russian equipment are actually representing 77, one of them upside down, possibly representing the end of WWII at the time of start of the UKR/RUS conflict.
Glad you responded. The use by Russia of the Z symbol is a very interesting topic.
PUTIN’S OPERATION Z
The invasion has acquired the nickname “Operation Z”.
Since mid-March 2022, the military symbol “Z” began to be used by the Russian government as a pro-war propaganda.
Then, the military symbol “Z” was borrowed by pro-Putin civilians as a symbol of support for Russia’s invasion
However, the Z symbol is considered a variant of Nazi symbolism as a zwastika or zwaztika, in reference to the Nazi swastika & in Russian and Ukrainian as ‘ziga’ referring to Sieg Heil by those in opposition to the Russian invasion.
Even the Russian language search engine Yandex censored the search results for the Z symbol: not allowing symbols of Nazism to be juxtaposed with it.
Factoids:
1. 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 now be sentenced to up to 15 years in prison.
“Russia: Authorities launch witch-hunt to catch anyone sharing anti-war views”. Amnesty International. 30 March 2022.
2. On 23 May, Russian diplomat Boris Bondarev announced that he had resigned from his position in protest over the Russian invasion of Ukraine, referring to the invasion as an “aggressive war”, 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”.
3. “115 Russian national guard soldiers sacked for refusing to fight in Ukraine”
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/may/27/115-russian-national-guard-soldiers-sacked-for-refusing-to-fight-in-ukraine
Cases involving Rosgvardia, known as Vladimir Putin’s private army, are clearest sign yet of dissent in Russian ranks
4. Cases involving Rosgvardia, known as Vladimir Putin’s private army, are clearest sign yet of dissent in Russian ranks
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/may/27/115-russian-national-guard-soldiers-sacked-for-refusing-to-fight-in-ukraine
INTERNATIONAL CENSOR
[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.
• Estonia – in April 2022, a ban was issued by the Riigikogu.
• Georgia – the ban of symbols is proposed by Lelo for Georgia opposition party.
• Germany – the Federal Ministry of the Interior and Community said that using “Z” to indicate support for the Russian invasion of Ukraine is a felony punishable by up to three years in prison.
• In April 2022, the vehicle registration office in Herford, North Rhine-Westphalia ceased issuing vehicle registration plates with the letter combination “HF-Z” due to the use of the letter “Z” as a symbol of a war of aggression.
• 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.
• Kyrgyzstan – police departments have restricted the “Z” symbol from being displayed on vehicles in public.
• 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, 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.
• Moldova – since 7 April 2022, the symbols “Z” and “V” and the ribbon of Saint George are banned in Moldova.
• 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”.
• 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.
SPORTING ORGANIZATIONS
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. 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.
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.
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, Zurich Insurance (which suspended the use of its logo containing an encircled “Z” on social media), and Samsung Electronics (which has re-branded several Samsung Galaxy Z-brand smartphones when promoted in the Baltic states). 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.
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.
In April 2022, Singaporean transportation company ComfortDelGro announced that they will remove the “Z” letter from its Zig Booking App in order to prevent “possible misunderstandings” with the Russian military symbol.
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.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Z_(military_symbol)