The Russian invaders of Ukraine put on their tanks what appears to be the letter Z. In our alphabet, it certainly is a Z. The Russians do not use our alphabet. The Cyrillic Alphabet has no letter Z. It is not a symbol for them.
In 1973, the Russians produced a series called "Seventeen Moments of Spring" about a fictional KGB agent named Max Otto von Stierlitz, who infiltrates SS during WWII (there are many plot holes in all this, but moving on). Stierlitz wore perfectly tailored Nazi uniforms. He was considered stylish by Russians, who liked the stylishness of Nazis uniforms. While Americans and other countries have stylish fashion, we tend not to do military uniforms.
One of the Russians who fell in love with the Nazi fashion style was Putin, who even joined the KGB after the show aired. He was the handler of Neo-Nazis in Germany, and has since done everything possible to make himself look like Stierlitz. This fashion statement is the officially pushed fashion statement, with many on Russian TV now wearing "Bavarian-style jacket", and other styles that Russians consider Nazi-like.
Back in the 1970's there were still a lot of Russians who lived through WWII, so they used the Half Swastika, so as not to shock people. The Half Swastika is what we see as a Z.
In 1973, the Russians produced a series called "Seventeen Moments of Spring" about a fictional KGB agent named Max Otto von Stierlitz, who infiltrates SS during WWII (there are many plot holes in all this, but moving on). Stierlitz wore perfectly tailored Nazi uniforms. He was considered stylish by Russians, who liked the stylishness of Nazis uniforms. While Americans and other countries have stylish fashion, we tend not to do military uniforms.
One of the Russians who fell in love with the Nazi fashion style was Putin, who even joined the KGB after the show aired. He was the handler of Neo-Nazis in Germany, and has since done everything possible to make himself look like Stierlitz. This fashion statement is the officially pushed fashion statement, with many on Russian TV now wearing "Bavarian-style jacket", and other styles that Russians consider Nazi-like.
Back in the 1970's there were still a lot of Russians who lived through WWII, so they used the Half Swastika, so as not to shock people. The Half Swastika is what we see as a Z.
