Terminally ill Russian kids line up in shape of chilling ‘Z’ in support of invasion – World News
The letter Z has become a propaganda symbol in showing support for Russian leader Vladimir Putin and the invasion of Ukraine and is chillingly plastered on the side of tanks
Terminally ill children in Kazan, Russia line up outside hospice in shape of ‘Z’ (
Image: @kamilkazani/Twitter)
These images show terminally ill children in Russia who were encouraged to stand in the snow in the shape of the letter “Z” to show their support for the country’s unjustified invasion of Ukraine.
Vladimir Vavilov, chairman of a cancer charity that runs a hospice in the city of Kazan, organised the children to line up with their mothers for the photo.
The letter Z has become a propaganda symbol in showing support for Russian leader Vladimir Putin and the invasion of Ukraine.
Mr Vavilov posted the photo and a caption on the hospice website, The Daily Telegraph reports.
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Ivan Kuliak deliberately wore a pro-war symbol on his chest while standing next to a Ukrainian rival
He is quoted as saying: “Our patients and the entire team took part in it, about 60 people in total.
“People lined up in the form of the letter ‘Z’.
“In our left hand we held leaflets with the flags of the LPR, DPR, Russia and Tatarstan and we clenched our right hand into a fist.”
LPR and DPR stand for the Luhansk People’s Republic and the Donetsk People’s Republic, which are the rebel regions of Ukraine.
Russian tanks have been seen with the ‘Z’ spray-painted on it
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Image:
Sergei Malgavko/TASS)
Putin has recognised those areas as independent states.
The Z symbol was initially seen on Russian tanks and other military vehicles.
It has since been seen as a way to show support for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
It has become popular in Russia, with many daubing it on their cars or wearing it on their t-shirts. One photo online appears to show the Russian military making the letter out of badges collected from killed Ukrainian soldiers.
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It comes as Russian gymnast Ivan Kuliak sparked international outrage at the World Cup event in Doha, Qatar, for wearing the symbol.
Kuliak won bronze in the parallel bars and took to the podium to receive his prize alongside silver medallist Milad Karimi of Kazakhstan and event winner Illia Kovtun, of Ukraine.
The Russian was stood to the left of his Ukrainian rival on the podium and was wearing a neutral uniform after being prevented from wearing his country’s colours due to a ban.
A protester holds a ‘Z’ sign banner in Serbia
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Image:
Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
But he was clearly keen to make a statement in support of his country’s invasion of Ukraine, as he had taped a ‘Z’ onto his chest.
He is set to be handed a hefty punishment by the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG), which has condemned his actions.
Today, Russia has warned that sending foreign countries to Ukraine will lead to a “global collapse”.
Some have shown their support by spray painting the letter on the street
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Image:
AFP via Getty Images)
Sergey Lavrov, Russia’s Foreign Minister, said western powers sending mercenaries and military equipment to the front lines would be “catastrophic”.
It comes after Deputy PM Dominic Raab called on world leaders to support Ukraine with “everything from military hardware through to cyber resilience”.
He urged his international counterparts to supply the under-siege nation to prevent “more aggression in the future”.
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