The most famous Serbian volunteer leaves the Donbass

Original article: ruserbia.com
Translation by Alexander Fedotov

Preamble: We, at Slavyangrad, have been following Dejan’s story for a long time since we published our translation of the interview he gave to Ivan Maximovich (Иван Максимовић) of КМ Новине in November 2014. The time has come to express all our gratitude to Dejan for his heroic fighting, say good bye to him and wish him all the best in his future life.

Without exaggeration the most famous Serbian volunteer, sniper and DPR army captain Dejan Berić stated his intention to leave the Donbass. Dejan fought from the very beginning, since the events in the Crimea. He went through all of the most severe battles: from Mar’inka to Donetsk airport. He was taken a prisoner and was bought out. He was wounded several times. It’s time for him to relax a bit.

Here for your attention is the Dejan Berić’s open letter from his Facebook page:

Good evening everyone.

Nothing in particular has changed over here: Ukrainian artillery is still working and the infantry is fighting in certain areas.

As they say, it was tough in Donetsk and the suburbs yesterday. We moved again to the front line in the morning, but came back, as we were told there was no need for us to be there . However, in the evening we were called again to come back and help to deal with the snipers.

So nothing really has changed.

Except for one thing – after much considerations I have decided to end my stay in Donbass.

It was a shock to my superiors, but, like all normal people, they agreed with my decision.

Doctors almost for half a year forbade me to be at the front line permanently, not only because of my spine, which is easily solved, since I do not wear any body armour or anything heavy, but also because of the severe contusions, which threaten to disrupt my health. Then I will not be needed to anyone, including myself. So it’s time to think a little about the future.

I cannot let my fighters go to the front line without me and so on from day to day and for eternity, so I have never undergone any treatment as it should have been done.

It’s time to do something on a personal level as well. I am forty one and need to think about the future.

According to some of our plans, I will take another month to transfer the duties. I also have to solve the problem with the two Ukrainian snipers operating with a large calibre. After that I can move on.

This decision I considered for solid two months and announced it to my superiors last Monday.

Everybody here is saying that it would be a great moral support to Ukrainians while a big blow to our fighters. However, everyone should understand that we are all volunteers here. Eventually the time comes when one realises that he cannot any longer work to the maximum. Then it is better to leave than let your group or battalion down because of your physical conditions.

I have no doubt in the Ukrainians. They will try to take advantage of the news. But soon the snipers we have trained will show them that not a single person fights a war but well-trained people with big hearts. My boys and girls (we have two girls who are completing their training, which was long and terrible) will show that they are worthy heirs of the DPR special purpose battalion.

I sincerely do not regret a single moment spent in the battles for the people of Donbass, for protecting civilians from the new fascists supported by the West. I do not regret a single wound or a day that we spent without even bread crumbs, and there were a lot of those. Now, it is a well-organised army, which can not only rebuff but also advance.

At the headquarters there is a hope that after a holiday, which will be long as a lot needs to be done to get back into a normal physical condition, I will come back. But I am sure that I have had more than enough.

I have never rejected any order, while there were many of them when there were no chances to return. But we survived. Nobody here terminated as many enemy snipers as one Serb. And I do not count ordinary enemy soldiers.

However, war is war. If you do not kill, they kill you or people around you. That is harsh but true.

So I am very proud what I, as a Serb, have done here. Name SERBIA, despite some people in Serbia wanting to play it down, will remain inscribed in big letters in the history here.

Thank you for everything, Deki.