HEROES LIKE PILOT ZORAN RADOSAVLJEVIĆ WILL NOT BE FORGOTTEN

UGLJEVIK, April 2 /SRNA/ – Serbian heroes such as Yugoslav Air Force pilot Zoran Radosavljević will not be forgotten, it was emphasized in Trnova near Ugljevik, where tribute was paid today to the major whose aircraft was shot down during NATO's bombing of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia in 1999 above this village.

Owner of the Technical Overhaul Bratunac /TRB/ Slavenko Ristić personally financed the construction of 500 meters of road leading to the site where the hero's body was found, as well as the landscaping around the memorial dedicated to Major Radosavljević in the forest in the village of Žuge, where a memorial service was also held.

Ristić told reporters that the legacy of pilot Zoran Radosavljević will serve as an example for future generations on how to defend a country and its people.

According to him, with the support of the local community, a second phase of the project will be implemented, involving the construction of a memorial complex aimed at showing young people that heroes are among us and will never be forgotten.

Assistant Minister for Veterans and Disability Protection of Republika Srpska Nebojša Vidaković emphasized that the name of Major Zoran Radosavljević is not only spoken as a symbol of remembrance, but as a symbol of honor, courage and responsibility.

“It is proof that the peace and freedom we live in were not given, but built on the sacrifices of the best among us,” Vidaković added.

The Mayor of Ugljevik Dragan Gajić said that the people of Trnova and Ugljevik still remember the tragic events of March 1999, expressing gratitude to the residents of the villages of Žuge and Krćine who reacted quickly and found the pilot's body.

“On that day, two aircraft of the Yugoslav Air Force were shot down. The locals rescued the pilot who ejected and survived, and found the body of Zoran Radosavljević, which was then transported to Serbia,” Gajić noted.

A solemn academy was also held on this occasion at the "Filip Višnjić" Cultural Center in Ugljevik.

As part of the academy, the documentary film "Memory of a Hero – Responsibility for the Future" premiered, sponsored by TRB, and the plan for the construction of a memorial complex dedicated to Major Radosavljević was presented, based on a conceptual design by Bijeljina architect Marko Vukićević.

The memorial service at the monument in the village of Žuge and the solemn academy were attended by His Eminence Metropolitan Fotije of Zvornik-Tuzla, members of Major Radosavljević's family, clergy, representatives of the army and police, as well as officials, speakers of local assemblies, members of parliament, and councilors from Ugljevik and Bijeljina.

The program at the "Filip Višnjić" Cultural Center was further enriched by a performance of the Police Orchestra of the Republika Srpska Ministry of Interior.

Yugoslav Air Force pilots Zoran Radosavljević and Slobodan Perić were ordered on March 26, 1999, to defend the airspace of the FRY. They took off from the Batajnica airbase despite knowing that enemy aircraft were technologically superior.

At one point, they crossed into the territory of BiH, where they were hit by missiles. Pilot Perić managed to eject and landed in the area of the village of Gornja Trnova, while Zoran Radosavljević did not survive.