After a recent text about the background of the Serbian Army parade in Niš and the marketing tricks that were used, many acquaintances contacted the author, asking when I would mention another such parade that I attended. Almost a quarter of a century has passed since her death. The Vidovdan review of the Serbian Army of the Krajina (SVK) was held on June 28, 1995 at the "Slunjska brda" training ground, on the eve of the "Storm" operation, and was supposed to demonstrate the alleged power of the SVK and raise the shaken morale of both the army and the population.
That parade was, in fact, conceived as a presentation of the newly formed Corps of Special Units (KSJ), a formation that existed only on paper, and was composed of forcibly mobilized people in Serbia, who had the misfortune to be the place of birth is a city in Croatia. Faced with the breakdown in Western Slavonia at the beginning of May 1995, as well as the rapid advance of the Croatian Army (HV) on the Dinara and through the Livanjsko polje ("brother Radovan" Karadžić had more important interests than the alliance with the RSK and its president Milan Martić), as well as the fact that there was no reserve force, the RSK asked for help from Serbia, and it came in the form of forcibly mobilized people, most of whom had no connection with the Krajina.
photo: screenshot...President Milan Martić and General Milan Mrkšić
Men born in Zagreb, Split, Varaždin, Rijeka, Pula, Našice and other places who were forced to leave those cities in 1991 took refuge in Serbia for their lives. They were caught in houses, refugee shelters, on the streets, workplaces, in public transport, often handcuffed... They were taken first to the police stations, then to the collection center in Sremska Mitrovica, and then to the direction of Plitvice and the training ground in Slunj, where they were charged with uniforms and equipment and announced that they were members of the KSJ. The other side of the coin is that those who escaped from RSK to Serbia who had money or some connections were never mobilized, especially war profiteers. "Holy breast brand" solved all problems.
The idea of forming the KSJ came from the newly appointed commander of the SVK, Lieutenant General Mile Mrkšić, who came to that position in mid-May 1995, after his predecessor, Milan Čeleketić, was dismissed due to the fall of Western Slavonia. Mrkšić, who was the commander of the Guards Brigade of the JNA, only followed the formational changes in the Yugoslav Army, which also formed the KSJ. He brought with him a group of officers who would make up his headquarters, act completely independently of the SVK Main Headquarters, and they fought a little in the Krajina army, and a little for Fikret Abdić and the Autonomous Province of Western Bosnia. All of them were in the operational group "Spider", designed for the action of breaking the Fifth Corps of the Army of Bosnia and Herzegovina and conquering Bihać and Cazinska Krajina. There were various formations, the Yugoslav Army, the MUP and State Security of Serbia, the MUP of the RSK and the RS, the "Arkanovci" and various other paraformations, such as the "Scorpion"... Of course, it all came down to making good money.
MORALE BOOSTING UNIT
The author of this text, for example, visiting Abdić's "state" in his headquarters, met a person who introduced himself as "Colonel Džemaludin". A few months later, when Mrkšić took over the Krajina army, the same officer was with him, as a captain of the first class. We recognize each other, I ask him where "Džemaludin" came from, he replies that he took that name because it contains the word "ludin" - crazy. The man was a VJ officer, he reached the rank of colonel, retired and died tragically, he was even a public figure. Given that he is dead, the name is completely irrelevant, but it is an illustration of the connection and intertwining of various armies in various spheres. Although he had nothing to do with the RSK, he is from Belgrade, Martić publicly promoted him to the rank of major at the Vidovdan parade.
The former commander of the SVK, General Mile Novaković, who led the "Spider", in his unfinished book (death interrupted his work on it), wrote: "The formation of the KSJ as a solution to the operational problem of the lack of forces at the junction of the Lika and Korduna corps was completely justified, but performed only demonstratively, not actually. It was neither a corps, nor were the units special, the Guards Brigade could not have been like that, if it was formed from unmotivated conscripts, which is why the command had big problems. Armored battalion is what it is, regardless of declaring itself a brigade. From the very beginning of the aggression (Storm), the Corps command worked very nervously, even with some internal incidents. It is not clear how, when and where it exerted its influence."
The assistant commander of the SVK for morale and information at the time, colonel Dr. Kosta Novaković, in an interview for "Vreme" pointed out that, on the one hand, the SVK needed such a unit, large-strength and maneuverable, while at the same time the people and the army needed to restore the shaken morality. He pointed out that something similar was attempted in the spring of 1993, with the formation of the "Vojvoda Vuk" Assault Brigade, which was supposed to have 5800 men distributed in nine battalion-level units (of which three assault and two armored) and to be composed of the best fighters. all six corps of the SVK, and would operate where the RSK is attacked.
However, the dissatisfaction of the commanders of the units appeared, because their best fighters were taken, and especially because their armored vehicles were taken away. In the three months of formation of the brigade, only 1800 people were gathered and then its formation was abandoned, explained Novaković.
He also states that with the arrival of Mrkšić, the idea of this came to life again, and the KSJ was formed, consisting of four brigades (the 2nd Guards, 2nd Armored, 71st Special and MUP Brigades were named after the VJ). the air defense division and four company-sized rear units.
WARRIORS WITHOUT MOTIVATION
The KSJ was supposed to have more than 5000 people, but not even 2000 were collected. All brigades were developed to the battalion level, which is roughly a quarter of the planned composition, admits Novaković, who confirms that there were almost no members of the SVK in those units, except for senior staff , as well as volunteers, but mobilized from Serbia. Realistically speaking, they could not be a support for a long period of time, they were not prepared or motivated, Novaković assessed. Senior officers with higher ranks were sent from the VJ to the RSK, who are not for the troops, but for the offices, because Belgrade was also stocked with that staff - platoon and company commanders or those on certain specialist duties.
photo: Draško gagovićCOIN TO COIN: Escaped stragglers
The problem, apparently small, which was not paid attention to at the time, was the "fatigue of the material" among those people. For more than two months, they were under constant training and pressure, without rest, forcibly brought, separated from their families. The problem was also the usual logistical security, from laundry and bathing onwards. Letting one of those people go on leave, to go to Serbia, meant "saying goodbye to them", because probably none of them would come back.
Speaking about the parade, Novaković points out that even many officers from the SVK did not understand the necessity of holding it in order to raise morale. Namely, many elders indicated the need to close the "hole" on the Dinara, which the Croats crossed from the Bosnian side and then slowly descended towards Knin from the spring of 1995, having it not only within rifle range, but also in optical visibility. Until the spring of that year, Dinara was defended only by the SVK light infantry brigade, and only when it was practically too late did various other combined formations of the North Dalmatian Corps and RSK Militia from Knin, Benkovac and Obrovac come to its aid. Too late, because the HV captured, among other things, the strategically important peak of Antića glava. The command of the defense of that direction was assumed by the chief of staff of the corps, lieutenant colonel Milorad Radić, but due to the lack of manpower and equipment, as well as the unfavorable position in relation to the HV, nothing could be done.
The officers complained that, in addition to the chronic shortage of fuel, it was being wasted on a pointless parade, and Novaković even now claims that, in addition to promoting the KSJ, the combat readiness of the SVK has also increased and the positive mood of the fighters and elders, as well as the people, has increased. , because it was broadcast live for the first time. The broadcast was realized thanks to Television Belgrade, which sent its reporting cars, links and other equipment, as well as people. Residents of RSK, where there were constant electricity restrictions, will remember that day also because, in order to watch the parade, their electricity was turned on.
OBSERVATION AT THE REVIEW
Holding the parade was also a security risk, because RSK was narrowest precisely in the area of Slunjske brde. If they wanted, the Croatian forces could have targeted the parade and its participants, especially since the entire Krajina elite had gathered there. However, that did not happen, partly because representatives of the European Community and UNPROFOR were present, and partly probably because of some agreement. The Croats, however, monitored the preparations for the parade and its maintenance from the air, and through drones with built-in cameras, they had a real-time transmission.
Years later, some of the HV officers bragged in the media that, using a specially designed mechanism from drones, they showered the audience at the parade and those on the ceremonial stage with leaflets with the date "28. June 1995" and printed with the Croatian coat of arms. None of the participants in the parade, as well as the journalists who were there in large numbers, noticed something like that, and if it had happened, it would not have been possible to hide it, because people would have talked about it. Flyers may have been printed and thrown away, but they fell who knows where.
The parade itself was boycotted by the officials of "fraternal" Serbia and RSK. From Serbia, as well as from the General Staff of the VJ, although they were invited, no one came, and from the RS, in addition to the absence of politicians, there was not even a delegation from the Army - the Chief of the Main Staff, Manojlo Milovanović, came alone with his wife.
At the top of the stage, with the card of an official official in the organization of the parade, just below the coat of arms of RSK, stood a young man in an American camouflage uniform with rolled-up sleeves, a red beret on his head and a scarf around his neck. It was Milorad Ulemek Legion, unknown to the public at the time, with a group of his "boys", who fought in the Cazin Krajina.
The parade was held as it was held, and it could not have been better, considering that preparations with untrained personnel lasted less than 10 days. Whoever paid a little more attention, on the spot then, as in the TV broadcast, could see the absence of emotion in the soldiers who are supposed to be special forces, but also dejection and listlessness. How could they not when they were mobilized by force and brought to the den to risk their lives.
For the needs of the parade, paratroopers were brought from the VJ, as well as several guardsmen, in ceremonial uniforms, who kept a guard of honor in front of the stage, and the VRS "borrowed" its planes (the aviation brigade of the SVK in Udbina itself was practically a detachment of the VRS and under its command ).
END OF THE PARADE
Various weapons from the arsenal of the JNA, inherited by the SVK, were paraded, but the "spin masters" of that time also had the idea to display a supposedly new tool, as explained, entirely a product of the (non-existent) Krajina military industry - the "Krajina" rocket. which is said to have a range of (incredible) 150 kilometers, and contains 500 kilograms of explosives. And of course, it caused thunderous applause from the guests, as well as snickering (within themselves) from those who had little understanding of weapons. "Krajina" is, in fact, a "sea-to-sea" missile (in translation, a ship's missile to destroy another ship), which was found in the ammunition warehouse of the Naval District in Trbounje near Drniš, so someone thought of making a launcher out of rail on the truck and thus present it as a powerful weapon. There were similar attempts before, on the Bihac battlefield, when similar bombs and rockets were placed on improvised launchers made of railroad tracks welded to a truck, and then they were launched, and no one could know where they would fall. If they caused a psychological effect - they did, but they were also a danger to their forces on the front line.
The parade ended, the fighting morale of the Krajišniks was seemingly restored, the mobilization of all men continued in all places, including the "third-callers" or those who had a work obligation, in Knin all the men were bought and sent to Dinar, but it was too late.
The footage of the parade, which was replayed endlessly by the Krajina television, did not help either, and after the fall of Bosanski Grahov, a month after it was held, the lines towards Serbia were getting longer and longer. And KSJ itself disintegrated practically after the first contact with the enemy.
Martić gave a theatrical speech at the parade, after the war flags were awarded to the brigades, and the person who wrote that speech for him did not skimp on phrases.
Awarding the flag to the commander of the 71st Special Brigade, Lieutenant Colonel Nikola Gruborović, Martić, who was convicted by the Hague Tribunal and is currently serving his sentence in prison in Estonia, said: "Lieutenant Colonel, it is worth it for you too - this flag must be flown proudly until the final victory, to let's finish this road we started, and let it never fall into the hands of the enemy. I hope you will complete the task.''
And in the speech, someone "inspired" who compiled it mentions: genocide, exodus, "defense of age-old Serbian hearths", defense of bare existence, Ustasha leg, tragic memories of the Second World War, suffering of our civilians, devastation of the country, attempts to wipe out Serbianness in these areas, an unprecedented international hunt against Serbs, inhumane sanctions, a terrifying media campaign...
Mrkšić says that KSJ will be "one of the strongest in the area of the former SFRY" and that what was shown "is only a part of the means and forces we have shown".
By uttering one sentence, Mrkšić was inadvertently right and predicted the course of events. "It will no longer be possible for our enemies to take territory piece by piece." They will have to face a ready mobile unit, which will be able to prevent space being taken, if they need to recover any lost space."
Croatia really didn't take RSK territory "piece by piece" anymore, it took everything at once. And supposedly the mobile unit could not, but did not even try to prevent it. Why? Perhaps because of some agreement reached in Karađorđevo or elsewhere, whether through an intermediary or personally, Slobodan Milošević and Franjo Tuđman cooperated very well.
What about the other main actors of the parade? In addition to Martić, Mrkšić was sentenced in The Hague and died there in August 2015. A month later, Novaković also died of a heart attack. Both Gruborović and KSJ Chief of Staff Colonel Velimir Bajat died as retired officers of the Serbian Armed Forces, and recently the commander of the 2nd Guards Brigade Colonel Miloš Cvjetičanin.
The commander of the 2nd Armored Brigade, Stanko Letić, is a retired colonel, as is Kosta Novaković.
KSJ commander Milorad Stupar, whom Martić promoted to the rank of general at the parade, later became commander of KSJ VJ and was recognized with the rank of general. Unlike other SVK officers, who upon arrival in Serbia were harassed and accused of being cowards, Stupar was (certainly not by chance) promoted to head of the Infantry Directorate.
The case of Predrag Čučković, a young second lieutenant in the armored brigade at the time, is an interesting case, an extraordinary officer who tried to organize some kind of defense at the beginning of the "Storm", and was met with various forms of treachery. He died as a VJ captain in May 2001 in the south of Serbia, when a group of renegade members of the Liberation Army of Preševo, Bujanovac and Medveđa, which did not recognize the disarmament agreement, shot at a military vehicle, killing him and wounding five others.
Many years later, the author of this text met a man whose fate best illustrates all that the forcibly mobilized went through. He was born in Zagreb as the child of a military man, but he finished high school and university in Novi Sad. And then, at the beginning of June 1995, in a police raid, he was taken to the police station because of his place of birth, where he found many others like him. Then they were put on a bus and headed for Krajina - a "specialist", although limited fit for the army, due to his eyesight.
They passed as they passed, he managed to reach Novi Sad in mid-August and when he thought all his troubles were over, the police picked him up again on the street, he thinks it was his fault ("when I saw that they were legitimizing, I turned I ran to a side street by myself, and two people were waiting for me there, who were there to keep those who run away"), the same procedure, this time a little worse - sending to Arkan's camp in Erdut.
When asked why he didn't turn around when he saw the police 100 meters away and walk nonchalantly instead of running, he answered: "Come on now, don't screw me over." You know the joke about Zemunc in front of the judge, who, when he has already sentenced him for burglary, asks: Come on, rich man, tell me how you missed that there were 50.000 marks in the closet, you overlooked them, and took some small money and television. And Zemunac says: Well, my Mr. Judge, now you too, I'm fed up with the whole of Zemun laughing at me and making fun of me because of that."
