Putin supporter gets himself branded with ‘Z’ symbol using red hot poker | Video

Disturbing visuals show a Russian man getting himself branded with the Z symbol using a red hot poker, apparently in a show of support for Vladimir Putin’s war on Ukraine.

Belarusian media outlet Nexta shared footage of the shirtless man sitting cross-legged inside a shed. Another man heats up the poker and uses it to brand a Z symbol on his chest. The newly-branded man then gets up and raises his fists in the air, yelling in Russian.
The letter Z has become a symbol of war in Russia. According to The Guardian, it was first spotted on Russian tanks and military vehicles shortly after the invasion of Ukraine in late February.

Since then, it has gone from a military marking to a symbol of public support in Russia for President Putin’s invasion of Ukraine.

Three days after the invasion, state-funded Russian news channel RT announced it would sell Z merchandise, including clothing like hoodies, to show support for Russian troops.

Visuals of children in schools and hospitals standing in the ‘Z’ formation, as well as photographs of Russian and Soviet troops superimposed with the symbol have also surfaced online since the invasion.