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24/03/2014 The commemoration of the bombing of Serbia 1999-2014

During the 79 days of bombing at least 2,500 people were killed and more than 12,500 people were wounded and injured.

Attacks on Serbia began on March 24th 1999. while the last attack took place on June 10th, at 13.15 near Kosovska Kamenica.

1008 members of the army and police were killed or lost in action, of which 659 members of the military and 349 police officers. There was around 6,000 heavier or slightly wounded civilians, among them 2700 children.

Total damage is estimated at tens of billions of dollars. NATO war losses in manpower and technology have never been disclosed.

The decision of the intervention against the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia was made for the first time in recent history, without the approval of the UN Security Council.

Yugoslavia was invaded on the pretext that the blame for the failure of the talks in Rambouillet and Paris on the future status of Kosovo and Metohija was on its side only.

After the decision on rejection of foreign troops confirmed by the Serbian Parliament, which proposed that the UN forces oversee a peaceful solution of the conflict in Kosovo, NATO has launched, March 24th 1999. at 19.45 its air strikes with cruise missiles and aircrafts, in many areas of Serbia and Montenegro.

The alliance began its strikes from the ships in the Adriatic Sea, the four air bases in Italy, supported by strategic operators who took off from bases in Western Europe and later the United States. First were targeted barracks and army air defense facilities in Batajnica, Mladenovac, Pristina and other towns.

The bombing destroyed and damaged 25,000 houses, damaged 470 kilometers of roads and 595 kilometers of railways. Also were damaged 14 airports, 19 hospitals, 20 health centers, 18 kindergartens, 69 schools, 176 cultural monuments and 44 bridges, while 38 were destroyed.

During the intervention 2300 fair strikes were carried out aiming some 995 facilities across the country, and 1150 combat aircraft launched approximately 420,000 missiles with the total weight of 22,000 tons.

NATO also launched 1300 cruise missiles, over 37,000 "cluster bombs," which killed around 200 civilians and injured hundreds, and used a prohibited ammunition with depleted uranium. One third of the power capacity of the country was destroyed, two oil refineries were bombed in Pancevo and Novi Sad, while NATO forces used for the first time so-called graphite bombs to disable the power systems.

After very active diplomatic actions the Military-Technical Agreement in Kumanovo was signed June 9, 1999. but the last missiles fell on Serbia on June 10th, at 13.15 near Kosovska Kamenica, meaning that the bombing of Serbia lasted 79 days.

NATO Secretary-General ordered a cease of fire on June 10th, with which began the withdrawal of FRY and Serbian police forces from Kosovo.

That day, the UN Security Council adopted Resolution 1244, and around 37,200 KFOR troops from 36 countries were sent to the province of Kosovo and Metohija "with a mission to preserve peace and security."


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