Tragedy and shameful silence

In a traffic accident near Ušće, on the Kraljevo-Raška road, four members of a family, three of whom were children, and their neighbor were killed. Only their mother survived.

It caused the tragedy PASARS armored combat vehicle of the Serbian Army, which was returning in a convoy from a display in Batajnica. This caused many doubts, especially due to the silence of the Ministry of Defense. By the way, about every regular activity of the Army, it issues 10 announcements a day, mostly "regular training of this and that unit was held".

QUESTIONS WITHOUT ANSWERS

Only after the media announced that a military vehicle was involved in the tragedy, the Ministry issued a terse and unfussy statement from which nothing could be understood. To that end, regime media portals announced that a passenger car flew under a military vehicle that was moving in a convoy and accompanied by military police. The lie, after the photos from the scene were published, where it was clearly visible what it was about, was factually denied.

In the announcement of the Ministry, it was also omitted that the driver of the "Ford" who died was a member of the army. But that's why the regime's media headquarters launched "heavy artillery" from early Sunday morning, and where else but on Pink, and at Jovana Jeremić's. Since six in the morning, she has been "telling" that the opposition and hostile media will launch a hunt for the army because of this. Even some guests were uncomfortable, so they distanced themselves from it.

Then the regime's media chased how the 53-year-old PASARS driver was drunk - he had 0,2 per thousand of alcohol in his system. However, it seems that something else is involved, most likely exhaustion. Namely, this driver admitted to the prosecutor that he was sick. However, how well did he really know the 16-ton vehicle he was driving? Has he driven it before? For now, there are no answers to these questions. It is only certain that this 53-year-old man is still a junior sergeant. Therefore, he is under contract and must not refuse the assignment.

Retired lieutenant colonel Draško Đuričić testifies for "Vreme" about what those tasks can be - and from Batajnica to Raška you have to drive more than 250 kilometers.

"I was the commander of a mechanized company in an armored brigade," says Đuričić. "I had, at that time, the newest, most correct and most complete combat vehicle, the BVP M80 A. In the eight years that I was on that duty, no one thought of ordering me to go to Batajnica and 'show up' there." , and it's not like I couldn't. Batajnica was 158 km away, the vehicle's range was over 500 km, and the toll would be forgiven. Something else was decisive for us not to march there and to deny the citizens of Belgrade the pleasure of seeing us."

As he explained, there were transport plans, engagement plans, so it was not possible to meet those who wanted to brag about displays and presentations.

"In that army, which compared to today's, was 'backward and poorly organized', care was taken even to ensure that the driver of a combat vehicle, even a non-combat vehicle, was rested before the task and that he was not engaged in guard duty, duty or any other other activity that would reduce his ability to properly drive the vehicle in case of need. Today it is "much more advanced, more organized and modern", so it is no problem that, when someone thinks of it, the crew arrives, "starts" the vehicles, forms a column and rushes 250-300 kilometers in one direction to some "show". , stays there for a day or two, and then returns to the home garrison.

Đuričić pointed out that it is not a problem until something bad happens, and then what?

"Who and how made and signed the transportation plan, the order, the command for the march with those famous security measures in which it is written in 'bold' letters about the prohibition of the engagement of drivers on duties before leaving for the task? That needs to be checked. This is the last admonition to the Army to stop fooling around and to call for wisdom, if there is any wisdom at all. Those 0,2 per thousand, as measured in the blood of the driver, must not be a cover or preparation for the 0,2 per thousand of truth and responsibility for the abuses of the Army! From those 0,2 per thousand to the top responsible for this, it's a long, but also very well-scrutinized road."

Đuričić added that, without intending to judge, and even less to absolve the driver, he has a question that, if he fell asleep at the wheel, is there a reason for it? If he has health problems, there is someone responsible for that too. That's the one who ordered him to drive. Finally, how come only the driver was detained?

Retired colonel Najdan Vojinović, former commander of the rear base of the Pristina Corps, organized dozens of columns and convoys of military vehicles. He tells "Vreme" that in this case the responsibility lies not only with the brigade or air defense division commander, but with at least four other persons in the chain of command.

"Many things are not clear and they will try to cover it up," emphasizes Vojinović. "This is not an ordinary march of motor vehicles from the barracks to the training ground and vice versa, this is a big march of almost 250 to 300 km in one direction. From the Chief of the General Staff downwards, everyone had to regulate that march with their orders. There are many questions here, the answers to which they will try to hide. Because who drove a combat air defense armored vehicle; who was with him in the cabin; who was the column commander? And further - whether the order to march by transport was issued; whether the drivers declared clearly and loudly that they are capable of driving and that they are not tired, nor under the influence of alcohol or narcotic drugs; whether breaks and stops on the route were foreseen and implemented; how much the drivers were burdened in Batajnica during the preparation of that circus from the display; whether they had regular food and water and a medical examination; whether the vehicles were in working order; when was the last technical inspection; who signed the Road Work Sheet that the vehicle is roadworthy and much more. I am particularly interested in the information about why a man over 50 years old was driving - that is, the third caller. Who is he, what is he, is he trained to drive that vehicle and how many hours did he drive that vehicle because the route was between 500 and 600 kilometers. The investigation should show, if it is realistic and impartial, why the vehicle turned to the left lane, and whether the driver fell asleep or some malfunction pulled him to the left?"

There are no answers to all these questions. Those in charge at all levels of government - civil and military - are silent. That silence is more than shameful. The citizens of Serbia do not deserve it, and especially not the victims. The tragedy near the town of Ušće is the true epilogue to the display of the weapons and tools of the Serbian Army at the military airport in Batajnica. What actually happened there and what was the purpose of this manifestation?

IT'S ONLY IMPORTANT THAT YOU DO "SHOWS"

Under the President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vučić, a kind of "mix" of parades and landings was devised, the last of which was held on Friday at the Batajnica military airport.

The parade is much smaller because there are not enough soldiers to satisfy the megalomaniac ambitions to bring hundreds of tanks and armored vehicles, as well as all the other "wonders and wonders" of the Air Defense in front of the building of the House of National Assembly. And a "landing" like the one that used to be at the JNA Stadium is not enough.

photo: a. cirić / tanjug

Because how else to call what happened on Friday at Batajnica, at the display of weapons called "Zastava 2024"?! Admittedly, the performance was delayed by five days due to bad weather, so the participants had two dress rehearsals ("the dress rehearsal of the dress rehearsal"), which affected their exhaustion - these are human beings. According to official data from the Ministry of Defense, there were 6.000 participants with more than 2.500 combat assets. Those participants had to be accommodated somewhere, fed, and that lasted for days. And bring those combat assets to Belgrade from various parts of Serbia, from Vranje, Leskovac and Raška to Sremska Mitrovica and Sombor. And all this led to the fatigue of the people.

What did Vučić want with that "landing-show"? To show the numerical strength of the Army in technique? This is completely pointless, except for the purpose of personal promotion. At the same time, the fact that Serbia is a signatory to the Dayton Agreement is ignored, according to which NATO, Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina have the right to send their military inspections to the barracks and warehouses of the Serbian Army at any moment and to check what they have.

But that's why Vučić proudly says, ostensibly casually, that Serbia is the first or second power in Europe in terms of the number of working tanks. He completely overlooks the fact that the tanks, of which there are more than 250 domestic M-84s and Russian T-72s, are unmanned. Just by the way, he adds that "now we will have to work on increasing the number of crews", thereby acknowledging the fact that the Army lacks tankmen - both professional soldiers and reservists.

"We just have to have people," states Vučić, thereby contradicting himself when he said in the past that the army has enough people, as well as his colleagues who repeated like parrots that the staffing is "excellent".

At one time, a few years ago, the regime media announced before an exercise on Pešter that it would be an unprecedented display of power because 100 tanks would be operating at the same time. When some journalists wrote that the Army did not have a total of 100 tank crews, then Defense Minister Aleksandar Vulin called them liars. Two tank companies of 26 tanks appeared at the exercise, and for that the crews were barely "stretched", they were brought from Sremska Mitrovica, Niš and Kraljevo, and Vučić himself, a month and a half later, admitted that "we don't have 100 tank crews".

For the most part, the "display" at Batajnica looked like a front on the eve of the Battle of Kursk in the Second World War - equipment accumulated in a small area.

How to explain and justify the fact that 50-60 M-84 and T-72 tanks, 70 "Milos" armored wheeled vehicles, 57 "Lazar 3" and several "Lazar 2" ("borrowed" from the Gendarmerie, to fill the Batajnica airstrip are found number), 32 Hungarian combat transporters (cheaply bought) BTR-80A, 30 Russian donated and modernized combat vehicles wheeled BRDM-2, dozens of domestic BOV-86 and OT-84? In no other way than as a mere tool to increase the political rating of the President of Serbia. That is, his cult of personality.

Air defense equipment is not even worth talking about - a division of Russian obsolete anti-aircraft systems NEVA, two divisions of KUB, batteries of Chinese anti-aircraft systems FK-3 and Russian "armor", five "Giraffe" radars, French air defense systems "Mistral" and even 24 vehicles with the domestically produced PASARS system (full name – anti-aircraft self-propelled artillery system), which has a 40-millimeter Bofors gun and Mistral missiles.

SYNDROME "OF THE CORPORAL ZOR"

A treat for one's eyes, but not for the military that service those systems. Only those who have been a member of the army know how much preparation, effort and senseless bullying is behind it. And what does the term "corporal gap" mean. And that's roughly what happens when the brigade commander tells his deputy that he will conduct a review at 8 a.m. and that the army should be ready on the runway at 7.45:7.15 a.m., he conveys to his subordinate that the army should be lined up at 6.30:5 a.m., he then conveys to the one below that it is at 11:XNUMX a.m. and then by the time it gets to the corporals/corporals, the army is on the runway at XNUMX o'clock. That's how it is today in the Serbian Army - everyone was ready at seven o'clock, and the display started at XNUMX.

Journalists were treated in the same way. They were told to arrive in front of the SIV building at 8.15:9 at the latest, they left at 9.50, arrived at the airport at 11:XNUMX, and then until XNUMX were "catch-ups", surrounded by members of "Cobra", who did not let them move anywhere outside the imaginary circle - not even to say goodbye to military acquaintances or guests.

The security was commanded by the former bodyguard of the former President of Serbia, Boris Tadić, ensign first class. And next to the "Cobra" there were dozens and hundreds of members of the Military Police, ready to restrict movement, even when Vučić was visiting the assets on display. Only journalists holding microphones and videographers could approach; those who have a notebook but no microphone in their hand were, despite the neatly hung PRESS accreditations around their necks, immediately removed. The exception at the airport was made by the members of Vučić's immediate security, as usual they were correct and did not prevent anyone, but they had to be reached through the "ring" of young distributors and corporals from "Cobra" eager to prove themselves.

Visitors on the ceremonial stage could only see the flight program, as well as citizens who were separated by high fences. The view was obstructed by heavy equipment on the runway and meadows of the Batajnica airport, so those watching the television broadcast had a better view. It is also interesting how people, including high-ranking officials, applaud when they see a flight of planes, even if they are outdated "eagles" and "seagulls". Six MiG-29s, three "eagles" (the commentator of the program called them "couple") and two G-4s flew.

Journalists from the regime's television portals had previously run around to take statements from various "analysts" and waited like a cocked gun to give their opinion and prediction of what would be shown. One of them - who they say did not even serve in the army - was dressed in camouflage-type clothing with all-brown combat boots. The journalist introduced him as a "military commander", and he began to reveal what was to be seen. Another TV crew was waiting for their turn.

There were also representatives of military and veteran organizations, invited according to the principle of strict selection - only eligible. Some of them were just waiting to meet and shake hands with Vučić. That wish did not come true.

Before Vučić's arrival, and he came from a direction they did not expect, two professional members of the Guard tirelessly cleaned the red carpet with brooms for an hour. There were also two elders who assessed whether the carpet was properly arranged.

Of course, they handed over the report to Vučić as the "supreme commander", this time he came dressed decently, greeted Milorad Dodik and the others on the stage as if they hadn't seen each other for days, allowed the show to begin. The program ended, there was countless applause, followed by a parade of special units, treading the steps of machines - two echelons of the Special Brigade, one of the 63rd Parachute and Reconnaissance Unit of the Ground Army, and then the Training Command. Objective rating - the best "strojak" is 72.

After the parade, Vučić reproached the commander of the RViPVO, General Duško Žarković, for not letting the citizens in: "Let the people in, let the people in as soon as possible." Let them go, this is made for the people. It takes five hours to go around. And because of Milet (Dodik), we have to do it in 15 minutes."

After the tour, Dodik first spoke out: "I want to say that this is impressive. Only ten years ago for all of us who know what was important and what the armed forces mean, this was a dream. Today we can see how the dream comes true". The performance was soon over, the officials left, and the army had to tidy up all that "force and horde", prepare them for the march and return them to their home garrisons. Unfortunately, one return ended tragically. None of those officials had anything to say afterwards. An embarrassing silence covered the display.