A group of terminally ill children have been made to stand outside in the freezing cold and snow to make the letter 'Z', which has become a symbol of support for Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
Since Russian president Vladimir Putin sent troops across the border into Ukraine on February 24, Russian military vehicles have been spotted with various symbols daubed on their sides and roofs.
Within those series of symbols is the letter Z, which is thought to have evolved to become a sign of support for Russia's actions.
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Patients and employees of a cancer hospice located in the central Tartarstan region of the country have since been enlisted by the charity's chairman for a 'flash mob', to form the letter 'Z' for a photograph in support of the Kremlin amid its continued invasion of Ukraine.
Chairman of the Board of the Public Charitable Foundation for Helping Children with Leukaemia, Vladimir Vavilov, organised the staging at the Kazan Hospice, according to the hospice's website.
Vavilov told Tatar-inform: [Translation] 'The action took place in the morning. Our patients and the entire team took part in it – about 60 people in total. People lined up in the shape 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.'
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By the LPR and DPR, Vavilov refers to the Luhansk People's Republic and the Donetsk People's Republic, CNN reports. Both are two areas located in eastern Ukraine which are held by separatists. Before invading the country, Putin recognised the two areas as independent states.
The image of the formation was taken by a drone and put on the hospice's website, The Telegraph reports.
Expressing his complete support of Putin's 'special operation' in Ukraine, which Vavilov said has been in the works for years, the chairman revealed that he tried to volunteer in Donbass, located in south-eastern Ukraine, in 2019.
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'When a brother of our employee in the LPR died, and I handed over documents to representatives in Moscow, I asked if I could go to Donbass. Then they asked me how old I was, and then they answered that they couldn't take me because of my age,' he explained.
While the letter Z has now been seen in situations other than on the side of Russian military vehicles, former director of the defence think tank RUSI, Professor Michael Clarke, theorized that the markings were an indicator of which geographical location the soldiers were headed to in Ukraine.
High profile nationals of Russia have also been seen sporting items of clothing with the letter emblazoned on top, such as Russian gymnast Ivan Kuliak during his medal ceremony.
If you would like to donate to the Red Cross Emergency Appeal, which will help provide food, medicines and basic medical supplies, shelter and water to those in Ukraine, click here for more information
Topics: Russia, Ukraine, Vladimir Putin
