Pro-Ukrainian activists in Crimea turn Russian "Z" into sand clocks

In the temporarily occupied Crimea, pro-Ukrainian activists are turning Russian military symbols – the letter Z – into sand clocks, which are painted over with the colours of the Ukrainian flag.

The open-ended campaign Nablyzhaietsia chas svobody [The time of freedom is approaching – ed.]  was launched by the Crimean branch of the Yellow Ribbon resistance movement.

Activists are redrawing the Z symbol, which the Russians leave on the streets of occupied cities and villages, turning them into blue and yellow sand clocks.

"The blue and yellow sand clocks that started to appear on the peninsula are our warning to the occupiers that they have little time left to leave Ukrainian territories," said the curator of Yellow Ribbon.

Simferopol. Photo: "Yellow Ribbon"

Activists call on all Ukrainians in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine to join the action, which began on 26 February, the Resistance to the occupation of Crimea Day.

In just a few days, the transformed Russian symbols Z have already been recorded in Yalta, Simferopol, Sevastopol, Saki and other populated areas of the peninsula.

Sevastopol. Photo: "Yellow Ribbon"

"During the nine years of occupation, Russia did everything to destroy the Ukrainian resistance in Crimea, imprisoning and kidnapping those who remained loyal to their state. But despite everything, the resistance on the peninsula is only getting stronger," says Tamila Tasheva, Permanent Representative of the President of Ukraine in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea. 

Nova Kakhovka. Photo: "Yellow Ribbon"

Painted over Russian military symbols also appear on the temporarily occupied territories of Kherson and Zaporizhzhia oblasts. In particular, sand clocks have been seen in Nova Kakhovka, Melitopol and Berdiansk.

Berdiansk. Photo: "Yellow Ribbon"

The Yellow Ribbon public resistance movement was formed in the spring of 2022 in Kherson, and has currently spread to all temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine.

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