Mysterious new symbol appears on Russia’s military equipment. Here’s what it is

As per a report from open-source intelligence monitor OSINT Defender, a new tactical symbol has appeared on Russia's tanks and armoured vehicles which have been deployed near Ukraine'sKharkiv,amid the ongoing offensive.

This symbol reportedly hints at amajorscale-up in the military activities of Russia.The new symbol has a central square along with two overlapping diagonal crosses. Over the last several days, the marking has started appearing on Russian equipment.

According to OSINT Defender's report, the new symbol canbe relatedto the renewed border offensive by Russia innortheast Ukraine.

Russian armoured assault groups have been trying to breach Ukrainian defences, especially around Vovchansk, where Russian forceswere seenentering the border town.

Such symbols generally serve asidentification friend or foe (IFF) measures in conflict zones.

After the Ukraine invasion in 2022, the most prominent marking was the 'Z'whichappeared on various Russian armoured vehicles and later became asymbol for Russians to express their support towards the war effort.

Retired U.S. Marine Lieutenant ColonelMichael Pursell, while speaking to Newsweek, said, "Markings are crucial in combat to distinguish between friendly and enemy vehicles, especially in conflicts like the one in Ukraine where both sides might use similar equipment."

How has carryingdistrict symbols on armouredvehicles becomea commonnorm in Russia?

Thedistrict symbols were introducedon itsarmouredvehiclesby the Russian militaryjust before the 2022 invasion.

According to the conflict's database website, Russo-Ukrainian Warspottingalongwith Russia-aligned militia in Donbas,wasassigned distinct signs.

More than10different symbols whichwereusedby the Russian army on the battlefield have been tracked by the website, including the white 'Z.'

In some cases, Russian vehicles carried signs of districtsthat theydidn't belong to.

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"Adaptations to markings may be madeto improve clarity and effectiveness, including considerations for drone visibility. But in this case, it seems that the implementation has never been particularly meticulous," Pursell said while speaking to Newsweek.

As Ukraine continues to wait for the US military's much-neededaid, a renewed assault hasbeen launchedby the Russian forces into Kharkivandthe Ukrainianmilitaryhas been rushing additional resources to the northeastern border.

As per the Ukrainian officials, Moscow has made "tactically significant gains" in the northeast region's areas, where Kyiv has less defences.

Disclaimer: A number of claims and counterclaims are being made on the Ukraine-Russia conflict on the ground and online. While WION takes utmost care to accurately report this developing news story, we cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, photos and videos.

(With inputs from agencies)