Ukraine crisis: What do the mysterious ‘Z’ markings on Russian tanks mean?

The tensions between Russia and Ukraine have reached new heights after an attack was launched on the latter, reportedly killing around 40 civilian soldiers. As the Russian troops are advancing with full force, many have noticed a mysterious marking on their tanks.

Here is all you need to know about the mysterious Z marking on Russian tanks-

• Amid the Ukraine crisis, several images of Russian tanks with ‘Z’ marked on them have been making the rounds on social media. 
• Since the Russian alphabet does not have the symbol ‘Z’, it has left netizens confused. 
• Defence experts believe it could be a way for Russian forces to distinguish their troops from Ukrainians. Both sides use similar military equipment and in the smoke of battle, it might be difficult to differentiate between the two. 
• However, some experts also believe the ‘Z’ markings could indicate a different task force.  
• The letter ‘Z’ has been seen inside a square, a triangle, and a circle in different pictures. It might be that these different symbols are for formations heading to different cities 
• It is a common military practice to use such markings to prevent fratricide. Such markings are put shortly before combat. 
• The US military painted black and white stripes on its aircraft during the 1944 invasion of Normandy to prevent Allied troops landing on the beaches from inadvertently shooting at their own planes.

Amid the increased tensions between the two nations, Russian President Vladimir Putin also issued a warning to the western nations, asking them not to intervene in the conflict. In a broadcast, he said, “To anyone who would consider interfering from the outside - if you do, you will face consequences greater than any you have faced in history.”