By Ivor Bennettcorrespondent in Moscow

If there’s one thing that defines what Russia has become over the last 1,000 days, it’s the letter Z.

What began as a military marking early in the war evolved into a national emblem that appears on clothing, bumper stickers and even buildings.

It is believed to mean “Za pobedu” (For victory).

This is apparently a patriotic symbol of support for Russia’s so-called special military operation.

But given what happens to those who oppose the war, it’s hard not to see it as an ominous reminder that dissent is not tolerated.

In Russia, right now, Generation Z is all that exists.

Anna Bazhutova is one of many people who discovered this the hard way.

In June this year, the 31-year-old video blogger was sentenced to five and a half years in prison after sharing testimonies online about alleged Russian atrocities in the Ukrainian town of Bucha.

She was convicted of spreading false information about the Russian military, one of several laws introduced following the full-scale invasion of Moscow.

“The sentence is unjustifiably harsh,” Alexandre, Ms. Bazhutova’s partner, told me.

“Even if we consider that there is an offense, this sentence is of incomparable gravity.

“It’s practically for nothing. Just words.”

And that’s just it. Words have become a weapon in Russia and are now used against those who say the wrong ones.

According to human rights watchdog OVD-Info, more than 1,000 people have been prosecuted in Russia for speaking out against the war, and more than 20,000 have been arrested for protesting.

“Vladimir Putin Right now we are essentially fighting a two-front war,” Dan Storyev, English editor-in-chief of OVD-Info, told Sky News.

“One front is against the Ukrainians on the battlefield. And the other is an internal war.

“It’s against anyone the Kremlin considers traitors, a danger to the regime.”

Last week, a Moscow court sentenced a 68-year-old pediatrician to more than five years in prison after she was publicly denounced by the mother of one of her patients for comments she allegedly made about Russian soldiers.

Like Anna Bazhutova, Nadezhda Buyanova, 68, was found guilty of spreading “fake news” about the Russian army.

But in his case, there was no video evidence, only the word of his accuser.

For the court, this was sufficient, despite Ms. Buyanova’s denials.

Activists believe this case is particularly worrying because of its historical echoes.

Russians informing each other was a feature of the suspicion that reigned under Soviet rule, and the practice seemed to increase as the war progressed.

“It’s tiny compared to what Stalin had, but it’s certainly something very worrying,” Mr. Storyev said.

“And this is something that the Russian state is actively working to develop.”

Unlike the Z symbols, this tendency to inform is not visible.

But you can feel it.

There is a climate of fear that manifests itself in daily interactions.

People don’t directly refer to the war, but instead use phrases like “since 2022” or “the current situation.”

Euphemisms, because no one really knows who is listening.

Of course, Russia did not want to reach 1,000 days.

The invasion was supposed to end in a few weeks.

But since these initial missteps and miscalculations, the Kremlin has characterized the conflict as an existential struggle against the West, akin to a holy war in which it almost revels.

It has become the defining element of Russia’s current national identity.

Will this last another 1,000 days? If this is the case, Anna Bazhutova and Nadezhda Buyanova will barely be halfway through their sentences.

“Humor really helps to keep us going. We constantly joke about everything,” Alexandre tells me when I ask him how Ms. Bazhutova is doing.

“But sometimes she gets depressed. Sometimes she no longer has the strength to hold on and cries hysterically.”