Zoltán Dani
Zoltán Dani (Hungarian: Dani Zoltán; Romanian: Zoltan Dani; Serbian Cyrillic: Золтан Дани; 23 July 1956) is a politician, former officer of the Yugoslav army and former commander of the 3rd battery of the 250th Missile Brigade, which shot down a NATO F-117 Nighthawk near the village of Buđanovci on 27 March 1999, during the Kosovo War. The hit was achieved with a S-125 surface-to-air missile system. He was initially unknown to the public and aliased with the name Gvozden Đukić. However, upon retiring from the military, he revealed his identity.
Zoltán Dani | |
|---|---|
| Born | 23 July 1956 Kovin, AP Vojvodina, PR Serbia, Yugoslavia |
| Allegiance |
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| Years of service | 1978–2004 |
| Rank | Colonel |
| Unit | 250th Air Defense Missile Brigade |
| Commands held | 3rd battery of the 250th Missile Brigade |
| Battles/wars | Kosovo War |
Dani claimed that his battery also shot down a NATO F-16. Although NATO initially claimed the loss was due to "mechanical failure"; the F-16's pilot recounted that his aircraft was hit by a SAM.
Since retiring from military service, Dani has opened a bakery and a family restaurant in his native village Skorenovac. He is of Hungarian and Romanian ancestry; his paternal family are Székelys of Bukovina, like the majority of inhabitants of the village, settling Vojvodina in the late 19th century, while his mother was of Banat Romanian ancestry.