diff --git a/runtime/syntax/python2.vim b/runtime/syntax/python2.vim
index 3b30eabbae..90c8dcaa33 100644
--- a/runtime/syntax/python2.vim
+++ b/runtime/syntax/python2.vim
@@ -2,8 +2,10 @@
 " Language:	Python 2
 " Maintainer:	Zvezdan Petkovic <zpetkovic@acm.org>
 " Last Change:	2016 Oct 29
+" 2025 Jul 14 by Vim project: highlight unicode strings
 " Credits:	Neil Schemenauer <nas@python.ca>
 "		Dmitry Vasiliev
+"		Rob B
 "
 "		This version is a major rewrite by Zvezdan Petkovic.
 "
@@ -141,24 +143,53 @@ syn keyword pythonTodo		FIXME NOTE NOTES TODO XXX contained
 
 " Triple-quoted strings can contain doctests.
 syn region  pythonString matchgroup=pythonQuotes
-      \ start=+[uU]\=\z(['"]\)+ end="\z1" skip="\\\\\|\\\z1"
+      \ start=+\z(['"]\)+ end="\z1" skip="\\\\\|\\\z1"
       \ contains=pythonEscape,@Spell
 syn region  pythonString matchgroup=pythonTripleQuotes
-      \ start=+[uU]\=\z('''\|"""\)+ end="\z1" keepend
+      \ start=+\z('''\|"""\)+ end="\z1" keepend
       \ contains=pythonEscape,pythonSpaceError,pythonDoctest,@Spell
 syn region  pythonRawString matchgroup=pythonQuotes
-      \ start=+[uU]\=[rR]\z(['"]\)+ end="\z1" skip="\\\\\|\\\z1"
+      \ start=+[rR]\z(['"]\)+ end="\z1" skip="\\\\\|\\\z1"
       \ contains=@Spell
 syn region  pythonRawString matchgroup=pythonTripleQuotes
-      \ start=+[uU]\=[rR]\z('''\|"""\)+ end="\z1" keepend
+      \ start=+[rR]\z('''\|"""\)+ end="\z1" keepend
       \ contains=pythonSpaceError,pythonDoctest,@Spell
 
+" Unicode strings
+syn region  pythonString
+      \ matchgroup=pythonQuotes
+      \ start=+[uU]\z(['"]\)+
+      \ end="\z1"
+      \ skip="\\\\\|\\\z1"
+      \ contains=pythonEscape,pythonUnicodeEscape,@Spell
+syn region  pythonString
+      \ matchgroup=pythonTripleQuotes
+      \ start=+[uU]\z('''\|"""\)+
+      \ end="\z1"
+      \ keepend
+      \ contains=pythonEscape,pythonUnicodeEscape,pythonSpaceError,pythonDoctest,@Spell
+
+" Raw Unicode strings recognize Unicode escape sequences
+" https://docs.python.org/2.7/reference/lexical_analysis.html#string-literals
+syn region  pythonRawString
+      \ matchgroup=pythonQuotes
+      \ start=+[uU][rR]\z(['"]\)+
+      \ end="\z1"
+      \ skip="\\\\\|\\\z1"
+      \ contains=pythonUnicodeEscape,@Spell
+syn region  pythonRawString
+      \ matchgroup=pythonTripleQuotes
+      \ start=+[uU][rR]\z('''\|"""\)+
+      \ end="\z1"
+      \ keepend
+      \ contains=pythonUnicodeEscape,pythonSpaceError,pythonDoctest,@Spell
+
 syn match   pythonEscape	+\\[abfnrtv'"\\]+ contained
 syn match   pythonEscape	"\\\o\{1,3}" contained
 syn match   pythonEscape	"\\x\x\{2}" contained
-syn match   pythonEscape	"\%(\\u\x\{4}\|\\U\x\{8}\)" contained
+syn match   pythonUnicodeEscape	"\%(\\u\x\{4}\|\\U\x\{8}\)" contained
 " Python allows case-insensitive Unicode IDs: http://www.unicode.org/charts/
-syn match   pythonEscape	"\\N{\a\+\%(\s\a\+\)*}" contained
+syn match   pythonUnicodeEscape	"\\N{\a\+\%(\s\a\+\)*}" contained
 syn match   pythonEscape	"\\$"
 
 " It is very important to understand all details before changing the
@@ -320,6 +351,7 @@ hi def link pythonRawString		String
 hi def link pythonQuotes		String
 hi def link pythonTripleQuotes		pythonQuotes
 hi def link pythonEscape		Special
+hi def link pythonUnicodeEscape		pythonEscape
 if !exists("python_no_number_highlight")
   hi def link pythonNumber		Number
 endif