Roland Bartetzko

German combat veteran with over thirty years of battlefield and instructor experience. Began with the German Bundeswehr (airborne forces, 1987–1992), then served in the Bosnian War with the «Ante Bušić» Brigade of the Croatian Defence Council (HVO, 1992–1995) and the Kosovo War (KLA, 1998–1999) under the call sign «Shaban». Today based in Pristina, he works in a law firm and a publishing house. Author of «The Smell of War: Lessons from the Battlefield» (2018) — a battlefield memoir translated into English, German, Albanian, and Ukrainian. On Quora he is one of the most-followed military writers (130,000+ followers). Since 2022 he has been a steady supporter of the Ukrainian Defence Forces — delivering equipment and gear to the front, advising units, and documenting the modern drone war. At GNIZDO he serves as senior combat-experience advisor and the association's European ambassador.