Symbol ‘Z’, everywhere in North Mitrovica

Dragan from North Mitrovica, a Serb-majority municipality located in northern Kosovo, says he does not dare to publicly express his opinion on the use and promotion of the ‘Z’ symbol in his hometown.

In Russia, the letter ‘Z’ is used as a symbol of military occupation in Ukraine, drawn or pasted on civilian cars and billboards, and some have even stamped it on their T-shirts.

“I do not even know what Zelensky’s name will be after they removed the letter ‘Z’,” Dragan told Radio Free Europe.

In North Mitrovica on the evening of April 3, a group of citizens celebrated the victory of Aleksandar Vucic’s Serbian Progressive Party, placing the ‘Z’ symbol on their cars, waving party and Russian flags.

Even in recent weeks, the symbol ‘Z’ was seen painted on the walls of some buildings in North Mitrovica.

Jovan, a resident of North Mitrovica, believes that the ‘Z’ symbol is drawn unconsciously by young people and according to him, no one supports such actions.

“Young people are doing this. They are not aware of the symbols and events of the war and the horrors that are currently happening in Ukraine.”

In late March, Ukraine called on states to criminalize the use of the ‘Z’ symbol, which is seen as support for Russia’s war in Ukraine.

Originally used in Russian tanks entering Ukraine, the letter ‘Z’ is believed to mean “za pobedu” (for victory) – and the symbol soon began to be used by the Russians as a sign of support for the invasion of Ukraine.

Three German states – Berlin, Bavaria and Lower Saxony – have already said that anyone who uses the symbol to promote war could face up to three years in prison.

The German Interior Ministry has warned that those who introduce the symbol to “support” the occupation “could be prosecuted”.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dimitry Kuleba has called on other countries to follow Germany’s example.

I call on all states to criminalize the use of the ‘Z’ symbol as a way to publicly support Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine. ’Z’ means Russian war crimes, bombed out cities, thousands of murdered Ukrainians. Public support of this barbarism must be forbidden.

— Dmytro Kuleba (@DmytroKuleba) March 29, 2022

“‘Z’ means Russian war crimes, bombing of cities, thousands of Ukrainians killed,” Kuleba said in a Twitter post.

“Public support for this barbarism must be stopped.” /RFE/