(Dan Tri) – On the weapons that Russia used to launch the attack on Kharkov in recent days, there is a new symbol painted by Moscow.

The new symbol was painted by Russia on the weapons used to attack Kharkov in recent times (Photo: OSINT Defender).

According to the open source intelligence group OSINT Defender, the new tactical symbol appearing on Russian tanks and armored vehicles participating in the attack on the Kharkiv region, Ukraine shows a significant expansion in the scale of military operations.

The never-before-seen symbol consists of a central square with two diagonal lines overlapping each other.

OSINT Defender commented that the new symbol may be related to Russia’s new attack in northeastern Ukraine.

Groups of Russian armored vehicles are trying to penetrate Ukraine’s defenses, especially around Vovchansk.

In conflict zones, symbols such as these primarily serve as identification friend or foe (IFF) measures, to keep a force from accidentally shooting a teammate.

In 2022, when the conflict broke out, Russian armored vehicles and tanks were also painted with the letter `Z` on their bodies to distinguish between friends and enemies.

Michael Pursell, a retired U.S. Marine Corps lieutenant colonel who now teaches at George Washington University, said: `Signs are important in combat to distinguish between friendly and enemy vehicles, especially

According to Russo-Ukrainian Warspotting, a database website on the conflict run by volunteers, each of Russia’s military districts, along with pro-Russian militias in Donbass, have been assigned separate markings.

This website has discovered more than 10 different symbols used by the Russian army on the battlefield, including the white letter `Z`.

While Kiev was waiting for U.S. military aid to arrive, Russian forces launched a new attack on Kharkiv, Ukrainian officials said.

According to Ukrainian officials, Moscow has made `significant tactical gains` in the northeastern regions, where Kiev has fewer defenses.

Kharkov – which has been bombarded continuously by Russia for weeks – is Ukraine’s second largest city.

Some experts believe that Russia may just be making `fake moves` in Kharkov to distract Ukraine, forcing Kiev to withdraw resources from other fronts such as Donbass and Kherson to strengthen defense.

At this time, Russian forces can increase attacks in Donetsk hot spots like Chasov Yar to step up the campaign to take over the strategic region of Ukraine.

On the other hand, in March, Russian President Vladimir Putin mentioned that Moscow could create a `buffer zone` on Ukrainian territory to prevent the Belgorod region from being attacked by Ukraine.

The ISW organization (USA) believes that if Russia wants to advance further into Kharkov, they will need a lot more human resources and weapons.