Dejan Berić

Dejan Berić (, ; born 25 September 1974), simply known as Deki (Деки) 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 Russo-Ukrainian War.

Biography Early life and business career Berić was born on 25 September 1974 in the village of Putinci in Serbia. 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. 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.

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. 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. Berić received several decorations from the Donetsk People's Republic for his war merits, 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. It was reported that he was wounded in combat in 2018.

The national intelligence agency of Serbia included Berić on the list of war mercenaries and considers him a threat to Serbia's national security, 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.

Berić has appeared in pro-Russian media, inviting young people to join him.

In March 2021, Berić announced that he is returning to the front lines due to the increased tensions between Ukraine and Russia.

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

2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine After Russia started its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Berić was reportedly assigned the task of recruiting new Serbian fighters. In December 2022, Berić met with, and interviewed, alleged newly arrived Serbian volunteers.