Disturbing footage shows a Russian man showing his support for Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine by mutilating himself. Belarusian media outlet Nexta published the clip showing a shirtless man sitting cross-legged in what looks like a shed. Another man heats up the off-screen “Z” poker before pressing it into his friend’s chest. The supporter then stands up and shouts in Russian with his fist in the air. The “Z” symbol made headlines after appearing on several Russian tanks near the Ukrainian border. A military source in the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, told the Sun that the symbol was used to distinguish their vehicles from those of the enemy. It is not yet known why Russia chose “Z” as a symbol to mark its vehicles, but some have suggested that it may be related to the Russian version of “for victory” (За победу) pronounced “za pobedu”. The man had a friend heat the hot Z-shaped poker and press it against his chest. The mutilation will last permanently on the Putin supporter’s body
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This theory seems to be supported by an official post by the Russian Ministry of Defense. The account shared photos of Soviet soldiers and Russian soldiers, with “Z” superimposed on them. And, right next to the symbol it said “for the win”. Russian gymnast Ivan Kuliak came under fire in March when he put a white letter “Z” on his pole at the Doha World Cup. Kuliak pulled hard on the line while standing next to Ukrainian athlete Illia Kovtun during a medal ceremony. Russia’s two-time Olympic gold medalist Svetlana Khorkina also showed her support for Vladimir Putin’s decision to invade Ukraine. He posted an image of the ‘Z’ symbol with the caption: ‘A campaign for those who are not ashamed to be Russian. Let’s spread it.’ Since then, the International Gymnastics Federation has indefinitely banned all Russian and Belarusian gymnasts from international competition. Contact our news team by emailing us at [email protected] For more stories like this, check out our news page.
