Terminally ill children in Russia made to stand in 'Z' shape to support Putin's invasion

A group of terminally ill children at a hospice in Russia was told to stand outside in the shape of ‘Z’ in order to show support for Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine. It is to note that letter 'Z' becomes symbol of war for Russia. According to The Independent, Vladimir Vavilov, who is the chairman of a cancer charity that runs the children’s hospice in Kazan, organised the pro-war stunt. Images of the “action” show around 60 people - patients and staff - gathered in the snow to perform the Putin-inspired propaganda stunt. 

It is to mention that the insignia, which is Latin script, has become a symbol of the invasion after being seen on Russian tanks and military vehicles coming into Ukraine. Over the last weekend, Vavilov snapped the startling photo of the sick children on a drone and shared it on the hospital’s website. “The action took place in the morning. Our patients and the entire team took part in it – about 60 people in total,” Vavilov said according to a statement on the hospital's website. 

“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,” he added. Notably, LPR and DPR refer to the separatist regions of Donetsk and Lugansk in Ukraine that the Kremlin leader has recognised as independent states. 

Letter 'Z' becomes Russia's pro-war symbol

Meanwhile, the photo of the ill children is among the latest instance of Russians using the pro-war symbol to show support for their motherland. Russian tanks emblazoned with the letter ‘Z’ have been rolling into the former Soviet country throughout the invasion. Moreover, Russian gymnast Ivan Kuliak even caused outrage by flaunting the war symbol while standing next to a Ukrainian athlete on the podium. 

Letter ‘Z’ merchandise has also been sold by the Kremlin-funded TV channel, Russia Today. Politicians, activists and influencers who support the Ukrainian invasion have also been spotted wearing clothes and badges with the letter ‘Z’ on. Russian MP Maria Butina, who was convicted in the US in 2018 for acting as a foreign agent, had even posted a picture of her and colleagues in ‘Z’ t-shirts. 

(Image: AP/Twitter)