Dhe Swiss insurance group Zurich is avoiding its company logo with the capital letter “Z” against the background of the war in Ukraine. “We are temporarily removing the use of the letter ‘Z’ from social channels where it appears isolated and could be misunderstood,” the company confirmed on Sunday. The logo can still be seen on the Group website. The letter has become a symbol of war in Russia. Russian military vehicles used in the war against Ukraine are often marked with a white Z.
However, the letter does not appear in the Russian alphabet. According to the Russian Defense Ministry, the character represents the slogan “For Victory”. The “Z” is emblazoned on many cars in Russia. On social media, celebrities also include a capitalized “Z” in their names. In the field, the marking probably also serves tactical purposes, not just propaganda, because military vehicles belonging to the warring parties are difficult to distinguish.
In the sights of politics
Politicians are now also targeting the “Z”. For example, the North Rhine-Westphalian state government is examining the criminal consequences of using the Z symbol in public. “Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, which violates international law, is causing unspeakable suffering. I have no understanding of how these crimes can be shared or approved of,” NRW Interior Minister Herbert Reul (CDU) told the Rheinische Post. “That’s why we in North Rhine-Westphalia are examining all possibilities of taking criminal action against the use of the Z symbol by the Russian army.”