President Milanović in Dubrovnik Pays Tribute to Homeland War Victims
On the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the liberation of Croatia’s south, the President of the Republic and Commander in Chief of the Croatian Armed Forces Zoran Milanović paid tribute today to the fallen Croatian defenders and civilians in the Homeland War at a wreath-laying and candle-lighting ceremony held at the Memorial Cross in Boninovo cemetery in Dubrovnik.
“The liberation of Croatia’s south was a large-scale operation of the Croatian Army tantamount to Operations Storm and Flash, in certain aspects even greater because it took place three years earlier in conditions of an international semi-isolation of Croatia, without weapons. It lasted for months and close to three hundred of our soldiers perished. This important event should have been marked on a national level, it should have been a central state celebration or one organized by the state, and not by local authorities, the County. The County didn’t even exist in 1992, but unfortunately it fell into the hands of the local group, and the Prime Minister had more important work. That’s how it turned out”, President Milanović stated for the media.
The headquarters of the southern battlefield headed by General Janko Bobetko was formed in April 1992 when the Operation for the liberation of Croatia’s south was launched. Thanks to the military and police operations in 1992 the siege of the City of Dubrovnik ended and 1,200 kilometres of occupied Croatian territory were liberated. In October 1992 Croatian units liberated Cavtat and Konavle thereby defending and liberating Croatia’s south. In the battles on the south battlefield more than 270 Croatian defenders and 19 civilians perished, and more than 900 members of the Croatian Army and the Ministry of the Interior sustained light or serious injuries.
President Milanović lit a candle at the tomb of the Commander of the defence of Dubrovnik in the Homeland War in 1991 General Nojko Marinković.
Alongside President Milanović were the Deputy Chief of the General Staff of the Croatian Armed Forces Lieutenant General Siniša Jurković, Commander of the Croatian Army Lieutenant General Boris Šerić, Assistant to the Chief of the General Staff of the CAF Lieutenant General Boris Zdilar, Commander of the Croatian Air Force and Air Defence Brigadier General Michael Križanec, Deputy Commander of the Croatian Navy Commodore Damir Dojkić, Deputy Commander of the Croatian Defence Academy Brigadier General Blaž Beretin, First NCO of the CAF Dražen Klanjec, Mayor of Dubrovnik Mato Franković, President of the City Council Marko Potrebica and retired Major General Luka Džanko.
PHOTO: Office of the President of the Republic of Croatia / Filip Glas