WORLD WAR Z: Russian tanks and vehicles marked with mysterious symbol move into Ukraine
Footage showing Russian tanks marked with a mysterious ‘Z’ symbol has gone viral on social media. Now, experts are scrambling to find out what it could mean. The white letter surrounded by a square box appeared on tanks and armored lorries that are reportedly rolling into Ukraine. This was after Russia had declared hostilities on its neighbouring country.
On Monday, Russian President Vladimir Putin had ordered Russian troops into two 'separatist' regions of Ukraine, after earlier recognizing their independence from Ukraine. Russia said it would be a 'peacekeeping' mission, but is speculated to be a potential pretext for placing troops in Ukrainian territory.
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It was revealed that President Putin had sent troops into ‘breakaway eastern regions in Ukraine’ on the morning of February 24, 2022. Videos and images of Russian tanks, supply vehicles, and rocket launchers have since gone viral on social media, with many clips showing these military vehicles marked with the ‘Z’ letter inside a large square or triangle.
(Twitter/@thereve99831715)
Investigative journalist, Aric Toler wrote on his social media to say that his agency had "been monitoring this stuff non-stop for eight years" but had not yet seen a symbol like this.
A military source based in Kyiv told The Sun yesterday, “It would suggest final preparations are complete. It’s vital that any attacking force can be distinguished, particularly from the air where Russian forces will have complete control. The Ukrainians have very similar tanks and vehicles and will want to reduce the risk of friendly fire.”
Experts suggested that the symbols could simply show that the vehicles are prepared for combat, but other darker theories have emerged. David Kime, a former soldier, police officer, and field intelligence officer was supposedly told by mercenaries from a Russian paramilitary organization that the ‘Z’ stands for ‘Zelensky’ - the name of the current President of Ukraine. Kime also suggests the ‘Z’ stands for the ‘point of no return’, according to a report in the International Business Times.
Russian defence policy expert, Rob Lee, gave his expert opinion on Twitter, saying: “It appears Russian forces near the border are painting markers, in this case ‘Z’, on vehicles to identify different task forces or echelons.”
It appears Russian forces near the border are painting markers, in this case "Z", on vehicles to identify different task forces or echelons. Several Msta-S howitzers, R-149MA1 command-staff vehicles, TOS-1A thermobaric MLRS, MT-LB, and BMP-2 in Belgorod. https://t.co/8opEgxX721 pic.twitter.com/ea9VKaXqt9
— Rob Lee (@RALee85) February 19, 2022
He also pointed to a popular Russian Telegram channel which was claiming that certain vehicles marked with a Z would be used in a particular direction in the 'invasion of Ukraine.' At the same time, those marked with a triangle instead of a box would travel in a different direction, however he noted that this theory “obviously isn’t confirmed”.
He added: “Most of the ‘Z’ markings seen thus far have been inside a square, but this Ural truck with a Msta-B howitzer has one inside a triangle." While experts are speculating what these mysterious symbols could mean, none of them have been confirmed. The hidden meaning behind the Russian 'Z' symbol is still unknown.