Hungarian and Ukrainian drivers started a fight in Tata because of the letter ‘Z’

Two drivers started a fight at a Shell petrol station in Tata. Police officers quickly arrived at the scene and ended the conflict. One eye-witness told the news website that one of the cars had a Ukrainian licence plate. She added that she saw that the Hungarian car had the letter ‘Z’ on it. She said that the two men started the fight because of that.

What does the letter ‘Z’ symbolise?

Telex.hu asked the local police department, which confirmed the woman’s information. They added that the fight happened on Sunday, involving a 57-year-old and a 47-year-old man. They damaged each other’s car with tools they could grab at the scene. The police of Tata are investigating the case of armed vandalism.

The cause of the fight was the letter ‘Z’ glued onto the Hungarian car. Z symbolises the Russian forces in Ukraine that are trying to invade and occupy the whole country. Though the police did not say which vehicle had the ‘Z’ sign, most probably it was not glued onto the Ukrainian refugee’s car.

Read also: Ukrainian refugees can continue their studies at these Hungarian universities

Twitter trends

There was no personal injury, but the material damage is significant in both cars. The police took both men into custody. The 57-year-old man is Hungarian, while his 47-year-old opponent is a Ukrainian citizen. The police are currently investigating the circumstances of the conflict.

The letter Z has been functioning as a war symbol these days. That is the sign the Russian soldiers draw on their tanks and other vehicles occupying Ukraine. Therefore, it became the international symbol of the pro-Putin and pro-war people. Telex writes that Russians even used child cancer patients for their war propaganda. Furthermore, it has become a trend among Russians to pose with the letter Z and share photos on Twitter.

Mega Mohan, the BBC’s reporter, shared in a tweet on Sunday that Russian gymnast Ivan Kuliak wore the letter ‘Z’ pro-invasion symbol on his shirt while sharing a podium with a Ukrainian rival on Saturday. “Kuliak finished third – behind winner Ukraine’s Illia Kovtun – in the parallel bars at a World Cup event in Doha,” she wrote in her post.

Here is why the Hungarian driver glued the letter Z onto his car

According to Blikk, the Hungarian driver received several threats, so he asked for 24/7 police protection. The news outlet said that the other driver was Ukrainian and jumped out of a car with a Polish licence plate. He carried another Ukrainian citizen from the border to the West. He attacked the Hungarian man with a knife, a gas pistol, and a special whip with steel balls on its end. Moreover, the Ukrainian national damaged an additional car during the fight.

The Hungarian man said he carried the letter Z on his car because it means justice. “I do not agree with war, but I agree with the demilitarisation of Ukraine and standing up against the Nazis threatening Europe. I am not anti-Ukrainian,” he highlighted. Police held him in custody for one day. Thankfully, nobody was injured during the fight.