The commander of a locally famous brigade of the Croatian Army and the wartime mayor of the city of Varazdin were promoted today into generals.

The Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) in Varazdin congratulated Zeljko Dvekar, the commander of the 7th Guards Brigade, the so-called ‘Pumas’, and Stjepan Adanic, the 1991 mayor of Varazdin, saying this has set straight the injustice that was committed against them, all Varazdin defenders as well as the Pumas.0

Together with the Croatian leadership, Adanic prepared, organized and carried out the defense of the city. He also took part in arresting a entire Yugoslav Army corps in Varazdin and was himself a hostage in a prisoner exchange in 1991.

Along with another brigade, Dvekar’s brigade was the first one to enter Knin after Croatian Serbs withdrew from the town.