03.02.2023.
New issue of “Odbrana” magazine
The February issue of the “Odbrana” magazine is dedicated to the Media Centre “Odbrana” Day, an establishment whose work is visible 365 days a year. At the ceremony held at the Central Military club on January 24, Media Centre Plaques were awarded to the most successful collaborators in the spheres of news, publishing and exhibition hosting, and “Ivan Marković“ journalism award, which is traditionally given on this day, went to Kurir's journalist, Jelena Spasić, this year.
Since Media Centre cultivates a 144-year-long tradition, readers can find out more about editors-in-chief of military newspapers and magazines from 1879 to 2023 in the magazine’s supplement. An exhibition displaying the names of 68 editors-in-chief of “Ratnik”, “Front”, Narodna Armija”, “Vojska” and “Odbrana” magazines was put on at the Central Military Club’s atrium.
The SPECIAL section is dedicated to the Defence University Day and contains two interviews on that occasion - with the Commandant of the Military Academy, Prof. Srđan Blagojević, and the Dean of the Military Medical Academy’s Medical Faculty, Prof. Dr. Sonja Marjanović – who talked about the advantages of military schooling and the reasons why young people should apply for the Military Academy or the MMA’s Medical Faculty. We have also included articles about the Strategic Research Institute and the Military Archive, which will soon celebrate their 39th anniversary. That institution has carried out extensive basic and applied research on security and defence, fulfilling its mission - to support the creation and implementation of defence policy.
The SYSTEM section contains texts written by our journalists who visited the 4th Army Brigade in Vranje on January 31, when the 4th Army Brigade Day and the unit’s Saint Patron’s Day were celebrated, and the First Training Centre in Sombor, discovering what makes these units special. This section also includes an account of an extraordinary feat pulled off by Lieutenant Colonel Borko Bućković, an engineer who responded promptly, calmly and bravely, heading towards an overturned car that could have exploded, in order to save the injured.
A text about the most heavily armoured infantry fighting vehicle - the Chinese VN-20, can be found in the ARSENAL section. Although much of the data is still unavailable to the public, the Chinese engineers have undoubtedly made a big step forward when it comes to platforms meant for the ground forces.
The GLOBAL section deals with cyber security and the dangers of the Internet when in the hands of terrorists.
This issue’s OCCASIONS section is dedicated to the 50th anniversary of the smallpox epidemic in Yugoslavia and describes the last outbreak of this disease back in 1972.
The VIEWS section is dedicated to military journalism. Brigadier General Wolfgang Peischel (retd), former president of the European Military Press Association - EMPA, of which Odbrana magazine is a member, wrote about this specific profession for our magazine.
The CULTURE section contains a review of Igor Gojković's book "The Battle of Kaymakchalan - September 1916", written by our famous historian Mile Bjelajac. Bjelajac says, among other things, that the officers in the photos included in Gojković's book "were able to show by personal example how things had to be done, how discipline was crucial for the salvation of everyone and for the preservation and resurrection of the homeland." They lifted up everyone’s spirits, fought to save the soldiers and after recovery, led them into new battles".
We have dedicated the TRADITION section to a significant anniversary - the 110th anniversary of military aviation. The early beginnings were difficult, with poor aircraft and inadequately trained pilots, but Serbian aviators learned fast, faster than others, matured in wars, so Serbian aviation became an important factor in Serbia’s fight for freedom against various enemies.
