Zoltán Dani

Zoltán Dani
Born (1956-07-23) 23 July 1956
Allegiance
Service years1978–2004
RankColonel
Unit250th Air Defense Missile Brigade
Commands3rd battery of the 250th Missile Brigade
Conflicts

Zoltán Dani (Hungarian: Dani Zoltán; Serbian Cyrillic: Золтан Дани; 23 July 1956) is a Serbian-Hungarian retired officer of the Yugoslav Army.

Dani was the 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 (Гвозден Ђукић). However, upon retiring from the military, he revealed his identity.

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 of Skorenovac.