Terminally ill children form 'Z' in snow to support Russian invasion; netizens dub stunt as 'propagandist show'

A photo showing a group of terminally ill children forming the letter Z to support Russia's invasion of Ukraine has sparked a huge outrage on social media.

TN Digital

Updated Mar 9, 2022, 17:48 IST

Credit: Twitter

KEY HIGHLIGHTS

The photo was captured by Vladimir Vavilov, the chairman of a cancer charity in Kazan.
It has now sparked a huge outrage online, with many accusing Russia of putting up a 'propagandist show'.
Many users have posted the photo on their personal handles.

In what is being called a desperate and propagandist show of support, a group of terminally ill Russian children were made to stand outside in the freezing cold to form the letter 'Z'.

In the last few days, Russian military vehicles in Ukraine have been spotted with various symbols on the sides and roofs. Among those is the letter Z, which is thought to have become a sign of support for Russia's offensive.

According to reports, the children and their mothers were asked to pose for a photo outside a hospice in Kazan, a city in Southwest Russia.

The photo was snapped by Vladimir Vavilov, the chairman of a cancer charity in Kazan. He used a drone to get the shot and later posted it on the hospice's website.

“Our patients and the entire team took part in it, about 60 people in total. People lined up in the form of the letter ‘Z’. In our left hand, we held leaflets with the flags of the LPR, DPR, Russia, and Tatarstan and we clenched our right hand into a fist," said Vavilov.

LPR and DPR refer to the separatist regions of Donetsk and Lugansk in Ukraine that have been recognised as independent states by Russia.

Unsurprisingly, the stunt has now sparked a huge social media, with many accusing Russia of putting up a 'propagandist show'.

A user wrote, “Terminally ill children in a hospice in Kazan, Russia were made to go out in the snow and make a letter Z in support of the war… I have no words.”

"Russia forced sick children to go outside in the cold to line up in the letter “Z”. Russians, will you continue to just look at this and remain silent?" wrote another user.

“Russia is behaving more and more like Hamas each day. Now they’re using terminally ill children in Russia to line up outside hospice in the shape of 'Z' to show support for the invasion,” wrote Israeli writer and speaker, Emily Schrader

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