The Aggression

Wednesday, March 24
The Belgrade City authorities announced at 6.30 p.m. local time that all necessary measures have been taken to provide shelters for the population and ensure the regular functioning of public services in the event of air strikes against Belgrade. "All systems are ready to take on their assignments if trouble comes to the city. We sincerely believe that our country and its capital won't be attacked, but we are ready and to do everything we are obliged and expected to if it does happen", the city authorities said. Spasoje Krunic, the Belgrade City mayor, appealed on Belgraders to keep calm and composed, avoid panic and ignore what he called "malicious information".  

The Serbian government said that the country's defence is vital now that NATO is threatening with aggression, and appealed on all individuals, organizations and institutions to stick to their duties in accordance with the immediate danger of war. The government released a statement to the effect that it guarantees regular supplies of victuals, available in sufficient quantities. It said that all organizations are obliged to protect the citizens from all kinds of danger, whenever anyone happens to be near an area being attacked. The media are obliged to give their full contribution to strengthening patriotism and to the country's defence, while medical and pharmaceutical organizations must provide health care, medicaments and the required equipment. The statement says that the Serbian government has made appropriate decisions to make sure that all the above-stated tasks are fulfilled.

The Yugoslav Army General Staff (GSVJ) announced that NATO attacked the FRY at 20.00 hours.

A number of strong explosions were heard near Pristina at approximately 19.45 hours. Some Pristina inhabitants spotted anti-aircraft fire near the Slatina air base, a Pristina correspondent of the Beta news agency said.

Air raid sirens went off in Belgrade at 20.15 hours. Three strong explosions were heard in the vicinity of Mount Avala. A radar system in Rakovica was also hit. A total of 11 explosions were heard in the area around the Batajnica air base. The Military-Technical Academy in Zarkovo was targeted, although the families of VJ officers who had taken refuge from Croatia and Bosnia were accommodated in the premises of the two buildings. Beta's reporters saw for themselves that the Military Technical Instiute hadn't been hit.
Another explosion was heard in the region of Ralje, 30 kilometres south of Belgrade.
Three strong detonations were heard in Novi Sad. Sirens went off in some parts of the city, but not in the city centre. Three missiles hit the Novi Sad Police Academy north of the city centre. The Motins production plant was also bombed.
Croatian television said that the country's air space was closed. No additional explanations were offered, the AFP agency reported.   

Sirens went off in Kragujevac at around 8.20 p.m. A missile landed near the Milan Blagojevic military barracks and caused extensive damage.
The Kula Police training centre was hit shortly after 8 p.m. and again at 9.30 p.m.

NATO struck the Golubovci air base near Podgorica and the Danilovgrad barracks.   Three soldiers wounded in the attacks were admitted to Podgorica hospital for treatment.
Dordje Galatin of Sombor and Ivo Colic of Subotica were treated for burns, while Ivan Pesic was admitted with abdominal and leg wounds.
Ten explosions were heard in Kursumlija. The first five or so came from the direction of the military barracks, surrounded by residential areas.
Pancevo radio reported that the town's aircraft factory has been hit.
Strong explosions were heard and flames were seen from the direction of the Vrbica military barracks.   

Strong explosions were heard in the Ulcinj area near Mount Mavrijan, where the Yugoslav Army radar installations were located.

An explosion, preceded by three flashes, was heard in the southern Serbian town of Kraljevo. The local television reported that the Ladjevci air base was one of the first targets to be bombed.

Sirens went off in Uzice a few minutes before midnight. The Ponikve air base, 30 kilometres northwest of the town, was attacked. Serbian television (RTS) said that 24 NATO bombers came from Albania to attack targets in Kosovo. The Pristina Corps Command told RTS that a VJ unit in Kursumlija was hit with three missiles but suffered no losses in the attack. "Criminals of the NATO pact and their criminal supervisors can cause damage and losses to us, but they can't defeat or conquer us", the RTS anchorman told viewers.  
 Belgrade Radio said at 22.00 hours that NATO attacked seven towns in the first wave of air strikes - Pristina, Kursumlija, Uzice, Danilovgrad, Novi Sad, Pancevo and Podgorica.

Montenegrin radio said that two VJ soldiers were wounded in the bombing of the Lastica peninsula near the Boka bay.

Italian television reported that one NATO warplane had been shot down in the first wave of air strikes against Yugoslavia. The Alliance denied the report. The German Foreign Ministry confirmed that one of its tornado bombers had been shot down, the ARD television reported.

The Serbian television reported in its late night news bulletin that a NATO warplane had been shot down in the Mount Cicavica region, west of Pristina. The RTS Pristina correspondent said that three missiles had been shot down before they could reach their targets. The Pristina Media Centre said that two cruise missiles had been shot down over Kosovo, adding that a NATO warplane was probably shot down too.

The United Nations Security Council started an emergency session, called by Russia, over NATO's strike against Yugoslavia. No decision was made after the discussion.

The VJ GS said that 40 facilities had been targeted in the first wave of NATO air strikes. Five air bases, five military barracks, several communication centres and two production plants were some of the major targets. Losses in human lives and facilities were minimal in the first wave of air strikes, the VJ GS statement said. According to the VJ two NATO warplanes and several cruise missiles were shot down.

Thursday, 25 March

Explosions were heard in Pristina after midnight. A local plastic production plant was hit, causing extensive material damage, the RTS reported in its morning news bulletin.

Colonel-General Nebojsa Pavkovic, the Commander of the VJ Third Army, said there were civilian casualties, some of whom were Prokuplje refugees.
According to Pavkovic, units of the VJ Third Corps and the Third Army were attacked with cruise missiles and aircraft. The fiercest attacks were targeted against residential areas such a Kursumlija, Prokuplja and Djakovica, as well as several Serb-populated villages in Kosovo. The Gracanica village, the site of the holy monastery of Gracanica, was also attacked. Pavkovic said that the fiercest attacks came from Macedonia and Albania. He said that the damage suffered by the Third Corps and Third Army units were minimal. "During the attack, anti-aircraft defence units shot down six cruise missiles and two warplanes", Pavkovic said.

The Surveilance and Information Centre informed the Beta news agency that the Batajnica air base was bombed once again at 3.40 p.m. The centre said that a number of missiles landed in the Batajnica area, but revealed no details regarding damage. The regions of Vozdovac and Grocka were also attacked.

Studio B television said that the pilot of the German tornado shot down ejected near Mount Jasterbacand that local villagers were on a manhunt.

The sirens sounded all clear at 5.25 a.m.

Jovo Todorovic, the Serbian Education Minister, said that elementary and secondary schools would be closed down until April 2.

Sirens signalling air raids went off at 9.35 a.m., all clear was sounded at 11.55 a.m.

Ten soldiers were killed and 38 were wounded, while one is missing after NATO air strike against Yugoslavia in the night between March 24 and 25, the GS VJ said. "More than 50 military targets, including the Panecvo UTVA production plant, the Moma Stanojlovic aircraft institute and Lucani's Milan Blagojevic enterprise were bombed by NATO cruise missiles and warplanes from the United States, Great Britain, France, Canada, Italy, Germany and Spain. Our vastly inferior forces shot down two enemy warplanes and several cruise missiles",  the VJ GS statement said.

Willie Wimmer, the Vice-Chairman of the OSCE parliamentary Assembly, told German radio he wanted an immediate cessation of NATO air strikes against Yugoslavia.

The VJ GS said that ethnic Albania terrorsist have made good use of the NATO air strikes to launch an offensive against VJ and police forces in Kosovo.

Belgrade communal services have introduced a working obligation.  

The Party of Democratic Socialism, one of the German opposition parties, decided to press charges with the German Federal Constitutional Court over the country's participation in NATO's military strike against Yugoslavia.

The Yugoslav Handball Association calls off all activities.

The FRY mission with the EU in Brussels lodges a verbal protest with the EU Ministerial Council over NATO's armed aggression against the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.

Nikola Kljusev, the Macedonian Defence Minister, denied General Pavkovic's statement that NATO used Macedonia's territory for strikes against Yugoslavia.

Sirens for air danger went off at 14.00 hours, all clear was sounded at 16.22 hours.

Nebojsa Bradic, the National Theatre manager, said the theatre's repertoire would be adjusted to the present situation.

Belgrade cinemas stopped showing all foreign films because of NATO's aggression against the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.  

Yugoslavia has been stripped of hosting the World Table Tennis Championships, due in Belgrade from April 26 through May 7, because of what the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) called the "present situation in Yugoslavia".

French police detained 120 Yugoslavs who attended demonstrations of support for Yugoslavia in Paris.

Yugoslav artists called off a ULUS exhibition scheduled for Thursday.

Zlatica Markovic, the manager of the Serbian baking and mill industry, said that bread production was growing on an hourly basis. Dragan Covic, the Commander of the Belgrade Civil Protection War Staff, appealed on the citizens to stockpile bread supplies.

Slobodan Milosevic, the Yugoslav President, met with the country's innermost leadership, Belgrade media reported. "The meeting assessed the military-political situation stemming from the US-led brutal NATO aggression against the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. The state leadership has assessed that the criminal air strikes represent a heavy crime against the people of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia", said a statement release after the meeting. It said that the VJ showed firm and determined resistance to our enemies, having expressed patriotism, courage and camaraderie.

The Federal Defence Ministry said conditions have been created for the defence and protection of the population.

Pope John Paul II expresses deep concern over the suffering of all people in the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.

Milan Milutinovic, the Serbian President, passes a decree regulating the work of the republic's institutions during the state of war.   

As of Wednesday morning, fuel is no longer available in free sale. Fuel will be distributed to priority consumers only, under a special regime.