here in the eastern ukrainian town, an angry crowd swarms after and attacks a single vehicle. its only obvious connection to the war the letter z. it s almost certainly some kind of tactical grouping. there is a million different theories what the z means, but i think it s just a marking. it s an easy thing to mark. it s like a square or triangle. reporter: in a war where the wanna-be conquerors are not flying their national flag, that single character has taken on special significance. at a recent gymnastics world event, 20-year-old russian competitor ivan kuehl yak accepac accepted bronze medal wearing his z prominently on his chest. he was standing next to a ukrainian athlete. the sports governing body described it as shocking behavior. but how do you describe this? terminally ill children and their careers formed a giant z outside a hospice in the russian city of kazan. it s disgusting that the state is coopting young children