Zurich Insurance axes its famous ‘Z’ logo after letter became Russian pro war symbol
- Logo is being removed by the company as it does not want to be misinterpreted
- Company earlier said it was no longer taking on new domestic customers in Russia
- Letter ‘Z’ has become a symbol of Russian support for the invasion of Ukraine
- Has appeared on Russian tanks and also on items including t-shirts and flags
Zurich Insurance has axed its ‘Z’ logo after the letter became a Russian pro war symbol.
The company said it was removing the logo – a white Z on a blue background – because it did not want to be misinterpreted as supporting Russia in the conflict.
In a statement, the company said: ‘We are temporarily removing the use of the letter ‘Z’ from social channels where it appears in isolation and could be misinterpreted.
‘We’re monitoring the situation closely and will take further actions if and when required.’
The logo, which is a white Z on a blue background, is being removed by the company as it said it did not want to be misinterpreted as supporting Russia in the conflict. Pictured: The company’s logo at its headquarters in Zurich, Switzerland on January 13 (file image)
The letter Z has been used to mark Russian military vehicles in the Ukraine conflict. It has also appeared on buildings, roads, cars, t-shirts and flags in Russia as a sign of support for the war Pictured: A Russian tank marked with a ‘Z’ in Mariupol, Ukraine on March 24
The company also told the Telegraph: ‘The Zurich brand has been around for 150 years. It is a trusted brand and we have proven our ability to change and respond to challenges over time.’
It comes after Zurich Insurance said earlier this month that it was no longer taking on new domestic customers in Russia and will not renew existing local business.
The company is one of Europe’s biggest insurers and has a market cap of $66.bn ($50.4bn).
The letter Z has been used to mark Russian military vehicles in the Ukraine conflict.
It has also appeared on buildings, roads, cars, t-shirts and flags in Russia as a sign of support for the war.
Russian politician Maria Butina, who was convicted in the US in 2018 for acting as a foreign agent, posted a picture of her and her colleagues in Z t-shirts earlier this month.
She captioned the photograph: ‘The team in support of our army and president! Let’s get to work guys!’
Russian politician Maria Butina (second left), who was convicted in the US in 2018 for acting as a foreign agent, posted a picture of her and her colleagues in Z t-shirts earlier this month
And politician Mikhail Delyagin wore a badge in a meeting of the state duma or parliament emblazoned with a ‘Z’.
In the meeting, the government approved Draconian new laws.
Mr Delyagin said in a statement: ‘Now we are at war. Yes we have a special operation in Ukraine, but we have a war with the West.’
And in the Gymnastic World Cup in Doha, Russian athlete Ivan Kuliak (pictured) wore a ‘Z’ at the medal ceremony, prompting widespread outrage
Also, children from a Russian cancer charity lined up in a giant ‘Z’ with their mothers earlier this month to show support for the invasion of Ukraine.
And in the Gymnastic World Cup in Doha, Russian athlete Ivan Kuliak wore a ‘Z’ at the medal ceremony, prompting widespread outrage.
There have also been videos of Russians wearing black sweatshirts with a white Z on social media to show their support for Putin’s invasion of Ukraine.
Also, children from a Russian cancer charity in Kazan lined up in a giant ‘Z’ with their mothers earlier this month to show support for the invasion of Ukraine (pictured)
What does the Z on Russian tanks mean?
The letter Z has become a propaganda symbol by Putin’s supporters in Russia after appearing on Russian vehicles invading Ukraine.
The invading Russians use the symbol to quickly identify if a vehicle is friend or foe.
However there is confusion over what the symbol, which has been compared to Nazi Germany’s swastika, actually means.
The letter Z does not exist in the Cyrillic Russian alphabet.
It has been interpreted as standing for ‘Za pobedy’ (for victory), others for ‘Zapad’ (West).
West is in reference to Russia western forces.
The ‘Z’ symbol had been seen inside squares and triangles as well as on its own – each thought to denote forces from a specific part of the military.
The symbol only appeared very recently, so the Ukranian forces couldn’t copy it beforehand.
Russian military vehicles attacking Ukraine are identified by the ‘Z’ symbol
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