President Milanović Pays Tribute to Croatian Defenders of Vukovar in the Memorial Cemetery of the Victims of the Homeland War

The President of the Republic and Commander in Chief of the Croatian Armed Forces Zoran Milanović attended today the commemoration on the occasion of the Day of the Croatian Veterans of Vukovar. As a token of appreciation to all the brave Croatian defenders who lost their lives defending Vukovar, President Milanović laid a wreath and lit a candle at the central memorial in the Memorial Cemetery of the Victims of the Homeland War in Vukovar.

On this day, March 10, 1991, a large deployment of unarmed detachments for the former Vukovar Municipality was held in Bogdanovci. It marked the beginning of the defense of Vukovar, Slavonia, and the entire Republic of Croatia. At a meeting of all defenders’ associations, which was held in 2014, it was decided that the Day of the Croatian Defenders of Vukovar would be celebrated on that date as a sign of gratitude to all those who selflessly fought for freedom in the Homeland War.

Vukovar was defended by between 1,800 and 2,000 defenders in the city itself, while around 6,700 participated in the entire Vukovar battlefield before the fall of the city. Around 900 Croatian defenders were killed in the battles for Vukovar, and around 600 more after being captured. Moreover, some 1,000 defenders lost their lives in the battles in the outlying areas around Vukovar, which were also part of the battle.

PHOTO: Office of the President of the Republic of Croatia / Tomislav Bušljeta