On March 24, 1999, 19 Member States of NATO, contrary to rules of international law and without consent of the Security Council of the United Nations, started an aggressive war against the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. War actions were performed by air forces of the Member States of NATO (460 -1200 air-crafts), from airspace of neighbouring countries. One of the main reasons for the beginning of the war was alleged prevention of a humanitarian catastrophe in the territory of Kosovo and Metohija.
During 78 days of continual military actions, about 22,000 tons of war materials were dropped. Modern guided projectiles of high precision, classic air bombs, cluster bombs and gun ammunition with depleted uranium were used.
At the same time, together with the NATO air forces, military actions of the KLA were carried out, supported by actions of the Albanian Army in the border zone of the FR of Yugoslavia.
In the absence of brief success of the actions on military targets in the FR of Yugoslavia, NATO started actions on civil targets. The following data on destroyed and damaged objects talk about the character of “the prevention of the humanitarian catastrophe “ and alleged selective actions on the military targets:
- 18 kindergartens
- 70 primary and secondary schools
- 42 out-patient clinics, health care centres and hospitals
- 29 monasteries
- 35 churches
- 23 water supply facilities and water installations
- 5 power plants
- 22 long-distance power lines
- 20 power stations
- 11 power transmitting installations
- 3 heating plants
- 261 industry facilities
- 82 road and railway bridges
The building of the Radio Television of Serbia was also bombarded as “a legitimate objective”, in which 16 workers were killed. In an international passenger ’ train, 16 passengers were killed. A bus in the village of Luzane was hit and 30 passengers were killed. In the location of Savine Vode 17 people were killed by cluster bombs in a bus. The centre of Nis was bombarded by cluster bombs when 14 civilians were killed. By “mistake”, the Embassy of the People’s’ Republic of China was hit by a laser guided bomb from the aircraft B-2 “Spirit”. In two attacks on refugees’ convoys, 150 people were killed by cluster bombs.
Actions on civilian targets were particularly intensified in a phase when a political agreement about cessation of military actions was evident. About ten days before the cessation of the war, on May 30/31, 1999, civilian targets in Varvarin (10 killed civilians), Novi Pazar (11 killed civilians) and hospital in Surdulica (19 killed civilians and refugees) were attacked. Bombarded targets, used means and methods of war actions talk about real intentions, hidden by the use of the term “collateral damage” and “mistakes”.
During the bombing of the NATO air forces, at least 520 civilians were killed.
During the period from March 24, to withdrawal of security forces from the territory of Kosovo and Metohija, 579 members of the Yugoslav Army and 170 members of the Ministry of the Interior were killed. Out of the total number, 246 soldiers were killed during the NATO actions, 78 out of the territory of Kosovo and Metohija, 299 by the KLA actions and it is still unknown how 34 soldiers died.
During the same period, 170 members of the Ministry of the Interior were killed. Out of the total number, 23 members were killed by the NATO actions, 144 by terrorists, one member was killed by KFOR and it is still unknown how 2 members died.
From February 1998, to March 24, 1999, 397 members of the Ministry of the Interior and 196 members of the Yugoslav Army were killed in actions against terrorists in the territory of Kosovo and Metohija.
Since the arrival of the UN mission, with approximately 50,000 soldiers, over 240,000 people, the Serbs and members of other nationalities, have been expelled from the territory of Kosovo and Metohija. During the reported period, 796 persons were killed (out of which 688 Serbs and Montenegrins, 61 Albanians and 47 members of other nationalities) and 1,065 persons were kidnapped (out of which 956 Serbs and Montenegrins and 109 of other nationalities).
In further text, we would like to present facts and documents about the killing of the civilians and infliction of material damage during the bombing of the towns of Aleksinac, Varvarin, Novi Pazar and Subotica.