Russian ‘Z’ tank flies a Soviet Union flag through southern Ukraine amid claims Putin wants to ‘rebuild the USSR’

A RUSSIAN ‘Z’ tank has been spotted displaying the old flag of the Soviet Union as claims continue to say Vladimir Putin wants to “rebuild the USSR”. Exactly where the footage was filmed it not known but it is thought to have been in southern Ukraine, as Russian forces continue to try to take over the country. East2WestIt’s thought the tank was filmed somewhere in southern Ukraine[/caption] East2WestThe Red Flag of the Soviet Union can clearly be seen as the tank drives past[/caption] The old hammer and sickle flag was ditched following the collapse of the Soviet Union, which had been dominated by Russia, in 1991. The red flag was seen as a symbol of Russian oppression and dominance by many people in the satellite countries of the Soviet Union, which included Ukraine as well as over countries such as Kazakhstan and the Baltic States. It is thought Putin, the Russian president, is intent on empire building and effectively create a new “Soviet Union”. Putin’s desire to make Russia great again is no secret, and neither is his admiration for the Soviet Union. Vlad has called the tyrannical bloc’s collapse a “genuine tragedy” – and is believed by some to be seeking to set the map back some 30 years. Most read in The Sun ENEMY WITHIN Russians disguised as Ukrainians shot dead as defenders dig in for Kyiv siege ACT OF DEFIANCE Moment brave Ukrainian woman confronts Russian soldier in occupied city TV SWITCH This Morning in fresh presenter shake-up as Dermot O'Leary replaced on Friday WRIGHT OUT Mark Wright BANNED by ITV after upsetting bosses by quitting Real Games by text TRAGIC STAR Promising actor, 27, who starred in Corrie died after 'falling ill' on holiday NUCLEAR FRONT Russians STORM Chernobyl as defenders ‘give their lives’ to avert disaster Ukraine intelligence warned Russia wants “to neutralise western influence and create a trading space” – in effect a return to the USSR. With tanks and troops rolling into Kazakhstan, it brings back echoes of the days behind the Iron Curtain. Harking back to World War Two, Putin tried to justify his decision to invade Ukraine by claiming he was striving or “the demilitarization and denazification of” the sovereign democracy in Kyiv. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is Jewish and lost three family members in the Holocaust. Putin has tried to extend his influence in a number of countries that were once part of the Soviet empire, including Turkmenistan, Belarus and Crimea, as well as further afield in places such as Venezuela, Syria and Cuba. Read our Russia – Ukraine live blog for the very latest updates Earlier today, shocking footage showed a Russian tank crushing a car as it drove over it and then reversed over it again, on the outskirts of Kyiv, the Ukrainian capital. The video – understood to have been taken in the Obolon district, five miles from the city centre – shows the armoured vehicle moving erratically through the streets of Kyiv. It comes as: Boris Johnson blasted Putin as a ‘bloodstained aggressor’ as he pledged to go after Vlad’s dirty cashBloodied civilians have been left fleeing for their lives across a devastated UkraineVladimir Putin warned of ‘untold consequences’ if the West challenged his invasion of UkraineRussian troops attacked the nuclear disaster zone of Chernobyl as it lies on the most direct route to Kyiv It was warned Putin’s invasion of Ukraine could spark a nuclear war if he goes too far and attacks NatoSt Petersburg is set to stripped of the Champions League final as Russia becomes an international pariah Fears are growing over the price of petrol and gas as the markets quake in the aftermath of the invasion The lone tank is believed to be a Strela-10, a anti-aircraft vehicle used by both the Russian and Ukrainian armies. And it is believed to have been driven by pro-Russian “saboteurs” – who also stole a military truck before they were killed by soldiers. Miraculously, the elderly man behind the wheel appears to have survived the ordeal as passersby attempt to free him using an axe. The news comes as Russian troops were spotted raising their flag in Ukraine as the second wave of Vladimir Putin’s invasion. Tanks, trucks, howitzers and other armoured vehicles – some marked with the distinctive “Z” – have been seen rolling in from Crimea. Other vehicles crossed the border from Belarus, with these marked with an “O”. The “Z” symbol became a distinctive image of invasion, as it’s believed to be an invasion organisation marking or to stop friendly fire. And atop a power plant in Kharkiv, southern Ukraine, a group of soldiers raised the distinctive red, white and blue striped flag of Russia. Fighting is raging through the country as Ukraine attempts to mount a resistance to the assault. TwitterRussian soldiers raise a flag in Kharkiv[/caption] ReutersRussian vehicles with the ‘Z’ symbol moving into Ukraine[/caption] We pay for your stories! 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