On this day in 1999, the NATO bombing of Yugoslavia

It was Wednesday, March 24, 1999. An ordinary spring day that was to mark the modern history of Serbia. In the evening, as many were preparing to watch their favorite Latin American soap opera “Esmeralda” or the historical Serbian film “The Battle of Kosovo,” reality changed dramatically.

A few hours earlier, the then president of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (FRY), Slobodan Milosevic, announced: "Our country is at war."

April 13, 1914: Palasa repels the Albanians

Air raid sirens sounded at 8:00 p.m., but the first attacks had already begun. Five minutes earlier, at 7:55 p.m., cruise missiles launched from NATO ships in the Adriatic Sea struck military targets in Pristina and Kosovo. One of them hit the Batajnica military airport, causing the first casualty. During the night, strikes on barracks and anti-aircraft units in Prokuplje, Kuršumlija, and other areas followed.

The citizens, although they could not see the enemy, perceived the war with all their senses. They very quickly learned new words: Tomahawk, B-52, Aviano (the base from which NATO aircraft took off). And, of course, they asked themselves: "Why are they bombing us?"

The NATO military operation came in response to months of fighting between the Yugoslav Army and Serbian police forces and members of the Kosovo Liberation Army (UCK). Although the fighting began in 1996-97, it escalated into full-scale war in 1998.

The reason for the intervention was the massacre in the village of Račak on 15 January 1999, where 45 Albanians were killed. The OSCE, through American diplomat William Walker, accused the Serbian side of massacre of civilians. In contrast, the Serbian authorities claimed that these were UCK members killed in battle.

The peace talks in France (Ramboulier) collapsed on March 23, 1999. On the afternoon of the same day, American mediator Richard C. Holbrooke left Belgrade, signaling that military intervention was inevitable.

The order for the attack, the first launched by NATO against a sovereign state, was given by the Alliance's Secretary General, Javier Solana, to American General Wesley Clark. Thus, on March 24, 1999, the operation was launched, which in Serbia was called "Merciful Angel", although NATO never adopted this term.

The campaign lasted 78 days and left behind thousands of dead and enormous destruction:

Loss of human life:

1,008 soldiers and police officers of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.

2,500 civilians (according to the Serbian government), including 89 children.

From 489 to 527 civilians (according to Human Rights Watch).

6,000 injured, of which 2,700 children.

Operations, Targets and Material damage:

-22,000 tons of bombs hit the country.

-2,300 airstrikes.

-50% of Serbia's production capacity and 1/3 of its electricity were destroyed.

-Targets: military bases, bridges, hospitals, media outlets (such as RTS, where 16 Employees were killed), even the chinese embassy in Belgrade.

On March 27, Serbian air defenses shot down an American Lockheed F-117A "Night Hawk", the first and only stealth aircraft to be destroyed in combat. Pilot Dale Zelko was rescued after six hours.

On June 10, 1999, after intense negotiations, the Kumanovo Agreement was signed between the FRY and NATO.

-The Serbian army and police withdrew from Kosovo.

-The international peacekeeping force KFOR took control with 37,200 soldiers from 36 countries.

-The UN Security Council adopted Resolution 1244, which provided for the administration of Kosovo by UNMIK.

Slobodan Milosevic, appearing on television, declared: "Aggression is over, peace has defeated violence. Dear citizens, good peace to you."

In 2008, Kosovo unilaterally declared independence. Today, Serbia does not recognize it, while talks to normalize relations continue.