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What does Russia's 'Z' war symbol mean? Experts call viral symbol 'Putin's Swastika'

The symbol 'Z' first appeared on Russian equipment, but now the symbol is everywhere as Putin rallies support for his war by copying Adolf Hitler

In the 1930s and '40s, the Swastika became a symbol for Nazism, forgoing its traditionally Indian origins as a symbol of good luck. It appears Russian President Vladimir Putin has taken a leaf out of Adolf Hitler's playbook and introduced his own wartime symbol - Z. The letter first showed up on Russian tanks and equipment at the beginning of the Ukraine invasion, but has now made its way across not just Ukraine, but the world. 

Much like how the letter Q is now synonymous with QAnon, dominating far-right rallies around the globe, it appears Z is now the symbol for Russia's war. The letter was plastered on merchandise including t-shirts by Russia Today and even worn by Russian gymnast Ivan Kuliak at the Gymnastics World Cup in Doha, Qatar. Despite both acts being scorned by the world, the symbol has only popped up in more places since. 

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Initially, it was believed that the symbol was merely a marking to ensure Russian troops do not fire on their own. Since then, the rumors have only grown as to the real meaning of Z. Some said it stood for Zelenskyy, the target of the war, and others claimed it stood for "the point of no return", indicating there was no turning back for Russian forces. Two weeks into Russia's brutal invasion, we may finally have an answer. 

What does the Z symbol mean?

According to the Russian ministry of defense, the symbol stands for "za pobedu" ("for victory" in Russian), but others have also interpreted it to mean "Zapad" (West in Russian). However, it appears that there is a more sinister reasoning behind using the letter, which does not exist in the Russian alphabet. From not even existing a month ago, it has now become the symbol for those loyal to Putin and his regime and visible all over Russia. 

So how did that happen? Kamil Galeev, a fellow at The Wilson Centre tweeted, "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?"

In a series of tweets, he then broke down a possible explanation. He says it has become the symbol of "new Russian ideology and national identity" despite being wholly voluntary in most cases. The symbol has since propped up on cars, businesses, and even homes in Russia and around the world as people declare their support for the war. In one case, Russians also made the symbol from the badges of Ukrainian soldiers killed in the war. In another case, children from a hospice were seen forming the symbol as Galeev noted.

It appears Putin is rallying Russian support for the war in Ukraine through the symbol, similar to how Adolf Hitler used the Swastika as a calling card for the Nazis. In fact, the similarities between the Swastika and Z appeared to be quite obvious, as social media and experts began to compare the two as Russia launched its offensive. Many are now calling the Z "the new Swastika", and in fact, it has also been nicknamed "Putin's Swastika" according to Sky News. Those views are being echoed online, as many claim Putin is "trying to create a new fascist empire". If the Swastika was a sign of terror in the 1930s and '40s, it appears Z is in 2022.