Zurich Insurance Deletes 'Z' Symbol From Its Corporate Logo

Zurich Insurance has removed its Z logo from social media after the letter became a symbol of support in Russia for Moscow's invasion of Ukraine.

Photo Insert: 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.

Earlier this month, the firm said it was no longer taking on new customers in Russia and will not renew existing local business, John Revill reported for Reuters.

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. "We are temporarily removing the use of the letter 'Z' from social channels where it appears in isolation and could be misinterpreted," the company told Reuters in a statement.

"We're monitoring the situation closely and will take further actions if and when required," the company said, following a report by The Telegraph newspaper in England.

The letter Z has been used as a marking on Russian military vehicles taking part in the conflict and has been adopted by Russians supporting the war. UK’s Sky News reported that some say it is Z for За победу - pronounced "za pobedu" (meaning "for the victory"), others say it is for "Zapad" (West).

Many have noted its similarity to the swastika - the symbol used by Nazi Germany in the Second World War - nicknaming it "Putin's swastika."

Other reports have said that the symbols are a way of denoting the origins of the forces - for example, some have said that the "Z" denotes forces from Russia's eastern district, while the "Z" inside a square seen on other Russian vehicles means the forces are from Crimea, which was annexed by Russia in 2014. The Russian defense ministry appears to have confirmed the first option.

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