Russia's Space Chief Marks 'Z' and 'V' On Soyuz Rocket Transporter At Baikonur To Show 'Solidarity'

The chief of Russia's space agency Roscosmos has ordered his personnel to etch "Z" and "V" markings on the Soyuz rocket transporter at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakstan.

According to Dmitry Rogozin, the gesture is intended to express "solidarity" with the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Russian tanks and vehicles have been sporting "Z" and "V" markings, which analysts say refer to contingents assigned to Ukraine regions and to help the Russians tell their own vehicles apart from their enemies.

Rogozin took to Twitter to announce his decision and to post pictures of the transporter being marked. "Baikonur is in solidarity with the actions of our Armed Forces, supports our guys who are fulfilling their patriotic and military duty," Rogozin wrote.

This comes as U.S.-Russia tensions over the Ukrainian invasion spills into space, leaving a question mark over the future of the International Space Station. Rogozin had also courted controversy by "warning" West that the U.S. sanctions could "destroy our cooperation" and said the research platform would plummet to the Earth without his nation's help.

"If you block cooperation with us, who will save the ISS from uncontrolled deorbiting and falling into the United States or Europe? There is also the option of dropping a 500-ton structure to India and China. Do you want to threaten them with such a prospect?" he wrote in a thread on Twitter. The ISS does not fly over Russia, so all the risks are yours. Are you ready for them?"

At present, the ISS depends on a Russian propulsion system to maintain its orbit, some 250 miles (400 kilometers) above sea level, with the US segment responsible for electricity and life support systems.

Rogozin, a close ally of Putin, is often known for his "bombastic" statements but experts view his fiery tweets as nothing by "inflated political rhetoric."

That said, reports suggest that the tensions between Russia and the US are driving Roscosmos and NASA apart. Russia had earlier used ISS to force the U.S. to recognize its claim over Crimea, threatening to relocate astronaut training there. Then, the U.S. was dependent on Russia's Soyuz rocket to transport astronauts.

However, that is not the case now as SpaceX has been transporting NASA astronauts to the space station since 2020. Despite that, the new development could prove dangerous to space relationships between the two countries.