Dejan Berić

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Dejan Berić
Dejan Berić.png
Native name
Дејан Берић
Nickname(s)"Deki"
Born (1974-09-25) 25 September 1974 (age 47)
Putinci, SFR Yugoslavia
Allegiance Donetsk People's Republic
Service/branch Novorossiya Armed Forces
Years of service2014–present
RankMajor
Battles/warsWar in Donbas

Dejan Berić (Serbian Cyrillic: Дејан Берић, Russian: Деян Берич; born 25 September 1974), simply known as Deki (Деки)[1] is a Serbian volunteer in the forces of the Donetsk People's Republic with the rank of Major, who is fighting as a sniper in the ongoing War in Donbas.[2]

Biography[]

Early life and business career[]

Berić was born on 25 September 1974 in the village of Putinci in Vojvodina. Until 2013, Berić owned a carpentry company, which operated for a few years. Allegedly, after it accrued heavy debts, Berić fired the workers and suddenly left the village.[3] His wife and son live in Putinci and support themselves from his mother's pension. His father died a few years earlier in Russia, on the construction site where he worked.[3]

War in Donbas[]

After the War in Donbas started, Berić travelled to Ukraine through Sevastopol and joined the forces of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic as a sniper.[4] According to the Ukrainian government, Berić was a mercenary leader of a sniper squad that has sought to kill members of the Armed Forces of Ukraine at the line of separation.[5] Berić received several decorations from the Donetsk People's Republic for his war merits,[6] such as for killing Ukrainian snipers and shooting down spy drones. He was captured in July 2014 on the road between Lugansk and the Russian-Ukrainian border. His freedom was paid for, so he continued to fight.[7] It was reported that he was wounded in combat in 2018.[8]

The national intelligence agency of Serbia included Berić on the list of war mercenaries and considers him a threat to Serbia's national security,[9] and in accordance with the Serbian laws, Berić could receive a multi-year prison sentence if he returns or if he is arrested and extradited to Serbia.[10]

Berić has appeared in pro-Russian media, inviting young people to join him.[3] After the ceasefire in Donbas, Berić has been away from the front lines and has been increasingly present in the Russian media, including the mainstream media. He is usually presented to the Russian public as a hero and the most highly decorated fighter. He most often comments on the situation in eastern Ukraine and Kosovo, calling the OSCE and the Red Cross "spies" and NATO a "terrorist organization".[10] Berić was present at a press conference by Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova in Moscow. Berić asked her questions about the conflict in eastern Ukraine and Russia's position on Kosovo.[10][11]

In March 2021, Berić announced that he is returning to the front lines due to the increased tensions between the Ukraine and Donetsk People's Republic.[12]

Inspired by his war experiences, he wrote the book "When the Dead Speak",[13] and a documentary film by , called "A Sniper's War" was filmed about him.[14]

References[]

  1. ^ "Сербский снайпер Деки заявил о сборе добровольцев в ДНР". news-r.ru. Archived from the original on 2021-04-11. Retrieved 2021-04-11.
  2. ^ U Srbiji dužnik, u Ukrajini plaćenik (in Serbo-Croatian), retrieved 2021-04-10
  3. ^ a b c Laketić, M. "ISTINA Ko je Dejan Berić, odlikovani proruski dobrovoljac iz Putinaca". Blic.rs (in Serbian). Retrieved 2021-04-10.
  4. ^ Andrej Mlakar (2018-01-27). "RAT DRUGIM OČIMA". Ekspres.net. Retrieved 2021-04-11.
  5. ^ Ukrajinski mediji: snajperisti iz Srbije došli u Donjeck (in Serbo-Croatian), retrieved 2021-08-03
  6. ^ "Dejan Berić dobio i šesto odlikovanje Novorusije". Vesti online. Retrieved 2021-04-11.
  7. ^ Cvijić, Vuk Z. "PSI RATA Popisani dobrovoljci u Ukrajini i Siriji, u Srbiji ih čeka robija". Blic.rs (in Serbian). Retrieved 2021-04-11.
  8. ^ "Рањен мајор Војске ДНР Дејан Берић". ВОСТОК вести (in Serbian). Retrieved 2021-04-11.
  9. ^ "Vučić: Srpski plaćenici u Ukrajini štete Srbiji". Mondo Portal (in Serbian). Retrieved 2021-04-10.
  10. ^ a b c "'Novinarstvo' srpskog dobrovoljca iz Ukrajine". Radio Slobodna Evropa (in Serbo-Croatian). Retrieved 2021-04-11.
  11. ^ "Sniper Deki who turned into a journalist". www.ukrinform.net. Retrieved 2021-04-11.
  12. ^ "Блогеры ОРДО: В Донецк вернулся снайпер Деян Берич. Будет "зарабатывать" на передовой". DonPress (in Russian). Retrieved 2021-04-11.
  13. ^ Kad mrtvi progovore - Dejan Berić | Delfi knjižare.
  14. ^ Маричић, Александар. "Александар Маричић: "Рат снајпериста" - документарни филм Оље Шехтер о Дејану Берићу". Нова српска политичка мисао (in Serbian). Retrieved 2021-04-11.
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