Ukraine's Verkhovna Rada officially declares Russia a «terrorist state», bans its military symbols «Z» and «V»

The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine adopted a law that officially declares Russia a «terrorist state.» The document prohibits «any propaganda of the Russian totalitarian regime» and the act of aggression by the Russian Federation against Ukraine.

The law also prohibits the use of the «symbols of the military invasion of Ukraine by the Russian neo-Nazi totalitarian regime», the «Z» and «V» symbols.

After Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the «Z» symbol was banned in a number of European countries. A person using this symbol in Germany, for example, may be subjected to criminal liability. Reportedly, the use of the symbol «Z» has also been criminalized by Lower Saxony and Bavaria.

Samsung has removed the letter «Z» from the name of its folding smartphones in some European countries, according to several publications. The line of folding smartphones had the «Z» branding since its launch in 2020, now the Galaxy Z Fold 3 and the Galaxy Z Flip 3 are simply called Galaxy Fold 3 and Galaxy Flip 3.

Samsung has reportedly removed the «Z» branding from its phones in Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia in recent days. Presumably, the company will soon do the same for the rest of Europe.

Initially, the «Z» and «V» symbols were drawn on military vehicles, which the Russian army used in the invasion of Ukraine. After that, the Russian Ministry of Defense officially began using these symbols to support the Russian military. Flash mobs using these symbols take place in many Russian cities, often with the involvement of government employees, students, or children. For example, the Kazan Hospice held a flash mob with the participation of pediatric patients, their parents, and staff - all lined up in the street in the shape of a large letter «Z».