Major NATO military operation in the spring of 1999. A lesson to all Slavs: the bombing of Yugoslavia

March 23 marks exactly ten years since the start of NATO military operations against former Yugoslavia(now Serbia and Montenegro). Below are the traces of that war that remained in my impressions of the trip to Serbia. All photos marked with my LiveJournal address were taken by me in July 2008.

Cross-post to communities ru_travel And myphototravel .

The official reason for the start of NATO military action was the presence of Yugoslav troops on the territory of the autonomous region of Kosovo and Metohija and the conduct of ethnic cleansing. During March-June 1999, NATO troops carried out military operations in the territory of present-day Serbia and Montenegro. The main part of the military operation consisted of the use of aircraft to bomb strategic military and civilian targets on Serbian territory. Air raids targeted military strategic targets in major cities Yugoslavia, including the capital - Belgrade. Belgrade, Pristina, Uzice, Novi Sad, Kragujevac, Pancevo, Podgorica and others were subjected to air strikes. The number of aircraft involved exceeded 500 units.

On the very first day of the war, Niš was subjected to a massive bombardment with Tomahawks and cluster bombs, killing 20 people.
Yugoslav air defense turned out to be practically powerless against massive night use cruise missiles Tomahawks fired from ships in the Adriatic Sea, and attack aircraft taking off from aircraft carriers and air bases in Italy. Here is a NATO map of Belgrade, with bombing targets marked in red.

An American F-15E Strike Eagle takes off from Aviano Air Base to strike Yugoslavia on March 28, 1999.

However, already on March 27, 1999, a Yugoslav air defense unit (Zoltan Dani) destroyed an American F-117 aircraft (“stealth aircraft”).
Almost as Soviet anti-aircraft missile system The S-125 was shot down by an invisible missile.

There are Russian inscriptions and instructions on the casing of the missiles sent to their final resting place in the far corner of the aviation museum at Belgrade Airport.

On April 23, 1999, the Belgrade television center was destroyed by a Tomahawk missile at night.

16 journalists and television center workers who were at their workplace and broadcasting at the time of the bombing were killed at work. live nightly news report. This modest monument, built at the expense of relatives, stands in the center of Belgrade in Tašmajdan Park next to the Russian Church and the Cathedral of St. Brand. The name does not need translation.

The Holy Trinity Church, owned by the Moscow Patriarchate, was also damaged during the 1999 bombings and was restored with donations from parishioners. In 2007 it was consecrated by Metropolitan Kirill. It is known for the fact that General Wrangel found his last refuge here.

The 25-storey building of the Ušće business center, located in New Belgrade, at the confluence of the Danube and Sava, is clearly visible from the Kalemegdan steep.

And this is what it looked like on the night of April 23 after being hit by a laser-guided bomb. 16 people died.

On April 30, NATO strikes the building of the General Staff of the Yugoslav Army and the Ministry of Defense of Yugoslavia. After the NATO raids, its bombed buildings were never restored.

On May 7, a precision missile fired from a B-2 bomber destroyed the Chinese Embassy in Belgrade. Official version: outdated maps.

Russia regarded NATO's actions as aggression, but de facto washed its hands of it. President Yeltsin issued an address in which he asked Clinton not to take this tragic, dramatic step. "This is a war in Europe, and maybe more." I believe that blaming your country for betraying the fraternal people is unnecessary. Serbs are not lambs of God, and they have enough blood on their conscience too. And Russia in 1999 had no time for Balkan showdowns: it had no time for fat, if only I could live. Behind is August 1998, default and economic collapse, ahead is the August of the “second Chechen war,” Yeltsin’s departure and a reshuffle in power.

As a result of the conflict, the military, economic and financial infrastructure of Yugoslavia was almost completely destroyed, which predetermined a deep crisis, which ultimately led to the deployment of NATO troops, the collapse of the remnants of Yugoslavia and the loss of Kosovo.

Conversation about past events with the Ambassador of Serbia to the Russian Federation.

The bombing of Yugoslavia was carried out by NATO in 1999

Peculiarities

• The first case of armed conflict between European states after the end of World War II;
• the conflict was a demonstration of a new way of conducting military operations:
• the use of massive airstrikes without ground support;
• improvement of aviation operations through the use of predominantly precision weapons(WTO) - this marked the beginning of the use of WTO aviation in all subsequent military clashes.

Reasons for the bombing of Yugoslavia

The collapse of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia began in 1991. Then Slovenia and Croatia left it. A little later, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Macedonia followed suit.

The Serbs living in the seceded states intended to preserve their areas of residence behind the core of the former Yugoslavia - Serbia and Montenegro. The West did not allow this and the new Serbian state remained within its previous borders (now it was called the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia).

American planes bomb Yugoslavia photo

But soon the fire of separatism flared up in the FRY itself. It consisted of two autonomies. One of them (Kosovo) was in fact deprived of the possibility of self-government, although more than 80% of Albanians lived on its territory in addition to Serbs. Then the Kosovar Albanians proclaimed the creation of the independent Republic of Kosovo.

By 1996, the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) was created. In 1998, the KLA announced that it was beginning to achieve independence by force of arms. The KLA's method of struggle was chosen against the Serbian administration and the Ministry of Internal Affairs. Europe supported the Albanian population of Kosovo.

bombing of Yugoslavia. People at their houses photo

On October 13, 1998, NATO carried out the first “air campaign” against the FRY, thereby encouraging the Serbs to be more accommodating in granting rights to the unrecognized republic. And indeed, a day later Belgrade signed an agreement on the withdrawal of troops. The KLA enthusiastically accepted the withdrawal of the Serbian armed forces and began to seize new territories, carrying out ethnic cleansing along the way.

The Serbs responded and January 1999 brought a renewal of the war. NATO again threatens the Serbs with airstrikes. Contact group negotiations began near Paris (Rambouillet). Based on their results, a possible agreement was proposed. It provided for autonomy for Kosovo, the withdrawal of troops and the deployment of peacekeepers.

NATO bombing of Yugoslavia photo

On March 23, the Serbs announced that they agreed to all conditions except the last one. This became the reason for the start of the bombing of Yugoslavia by forces. They started the very next day.

Powers

The base of NATO aviation groups was Italy. There, since 1994, a contingent was being trained for operations in the Balkans. By February 1999, additional air bases in Germany and Turkey were activated.

Officially, the operation was called Allied Force. In total, 1,150 aircraft were involved in it. More than half of them were American. The nerve center of the operation was the Italian airbase Dal Molin. From there, Lieutenant General Mike Shortom (USA) led the joint air force.

night NATO air strikes on Yugoslavia photo

Direct involvement ground forces wasn't planned. And yet, NATO ground forces stationed in Albania and Macedonia played their role. These 27 thousand infantrymen, under the leadership of Lieutenant General Mike Jackson (Great Britain), could at any time begin an intervention on the territory of Yugoslavia. This had a restraining effect on the latter's military actions. Subsequently, the specified NATO ground forces entered Kosovo as peacekeepers.

Beats

The bombing of Yugoslavia by NATO forces was carried out in three stages

• The task of the first stage (from March 24) was to suppress enemy air defenses. For this purpose, aircraft specializing specifically in this function were used. Serbia's outdated air defense systems were successfully destroyed. The success of the first stage ensured complete dominance of the NATO Air Force over the Yugoslav skies;
• The task of the second stage (from March 27) was to strike the FRY troops on the territory of Kosovo and carry out targeted strikes on strategic targets in Serbia. The latter required highly accurate intelligence data. They arrived thanks to the latest aviation and space reconnaissance technologies. And in addition, drones have become widely used;
• The third stage was not originally planned. But Slobodan Milosovic's reluctance to surrender quickly prompted NATO to carry out a more thorough bombing of the Serbian state from April 24.

results

Starting from 120 sorties per day, NATO increased the number of sorties to 500 - 600 per day in the third phase of the operation. In total, from March 24 to June 10, more than 37 thousand sorties were flown by Alliance forces (75% of which by the American Air Force). The strikes claimed the lives of 1,031 Serbian military personnel and from 489 to 528 civilians (this is according to Human Rights Watch estimates, according to Yugoslav estimates - from 1,200 to 5,700 people).

bombing of Yugoslavia photo

Serbian oil refining equipment was completely destroyed. The rule of Slobodan Milosovic ended already in 2000, mainly due to the loss of Kosovo. The Republic of Kosovo gained independence in 2008 and was soon recognized by the West.

Diaskintest, like Mantoux, is not only a known allergen, but also a biochemical reaction using pesticides, and this reaction is carried out not in a test tube, but inside the child’s body.

For very short period time, several emergency cases occurred in the country related to tuberculin diagnostics using “Diaskintest” in relation to schoolchildren in St. Petersburg and Leningrad region, in which a total of about 16 children were injured.

What do you think the doctors said? That's right, there was a massive scare!

What prevents you from completely abandoning this? According to the law - nothing. A written refusal from the parents is sufficient. In fact: children are not allowed into kindergartens and schools, parents are under total pressure. Not everyone is ready to fight

Despite the fact that Diaskintest is formally more modern method tuberculin diagnostics, which replaced the Mantoux test, however, this research method carries all the same dangers and disadvantages for the child’s body as the Mantoux test.

The main contraindications of Diaskintest include:

Acute and chronic infectious diseases; -

somatic and other diseases during exacerbation;

Common skin diseases;

Allergic conditions;

Epilepsy.

Diaskintest is a genetically engineered product based on the tuberculosis allergen - proteins of the mycobacterium M. tuberculosis, grown in genetically modified Escherichia coli. The bacterium Escherichia coli is considered non-pathogenic; normal in large quantities inhabits the intestines. However, if it enters other organs or cavities human body may cause the development of pathology, for example, if it enters abdominal cavity– peritonitis. Thus, Diaskintest, like Mantoux, is not only a known allergen, but also a biochemical reaction using pesticides, and this reaction is carried out not in a test tube, but inside the child’s body. Moreover, this poisonous cocktail into the body by injection (directly into the bloodstream), i.e. bypassing mucous membranes - natural protective barriers! That is, the child’s blood is deliberately infected.

Also a key component of “diaskintest” is - PHENOL. Phenol - dangerous toxic Chemical substance, dangerous to humans and beneficial microorganisms in the human body. And despite the fact that its content in Diaskintest is small, this dose, taking into account various factors, affecting the state of health at the time of administration of “Diaskintest”, can become critically dangerous for some children. It's no secret that often medical workers Locally, many safety and health rules are ignored and drugs are administered to an unhealthy and under-examined child. Also, in accordance with the requirements of SP 3.3.2.1248-03, Diaskintest must be stored at a temperature of 2 to 8 °C. And in this situation, the state cannot guarantee universal compliance with storage conditions throughout the entire chain of movement of the drug from the manufacturer to the child, and the exclusion of the human factor and criminal negligence.

Doctors may immediately start blinking: “but there is no other alternative to these poisons!”

Actually there is. The so-called T-SPOT analysis. If doctors, legislators and the state as a whole were concerned about including T-SPOT analysis in the compulsory medical insurance system - the only and safe alternative to mantoux and “diaskintest” for tuberculin diagnostics, our children could get at least some kind of respite.

Despite the fact that a number of schools in the Russian Federation still accept T-SPOT diagnostics, firstly, one should take into account its high cost, which is unaffordable for many parents, especially those with many children, and secondly, real guarantees of acceptance of results should be provided at the state legislative level specified diagnostics in educational institutions, rather than leaving the issue to the discretion of each individual school.

By introducing a safe method of tuberculin diagnostics into the compulsory medical insurance system, the state would immediately solve several acute and deep-rooted problems:

The problem of not admitting children to kindergartens and schools due to the lack of Mantoux and Diaskintest tests in children of those parents who by law have the right to refuse these outdated and unsafe research methods will be solved;

The problem will be solved negative consequences for children’s bodies and health due to the massive use of mantoux and “diaskintest” in kindergartens and schools throughout the country, during which it is impossible to guarantee a high-quality and individual medical approach to each child at the time of the procedure.

But in fact, legislators and doctors are doing the opposite, trying to clean up the unvaccinated and anti-vaccination people. Moreover, “clean up” is not a play on words, but a real term in the bill.

The government has prepared a project for sweeping vaccination against measles throughout the Russian Federation. If adopted, the pressure on the unvaccinated will be unprecedented. Obviously, problems will begin both in schools/kindergartens and at work. It is precisely for such laws that hysteria about measles is unreasonably whipped up in the information field.

Here's a look at how measles was treated 50 years ago, before vaccination marketing campaigns began:

Operation Allied Force - military operation NATO against the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia from 24 March to 10 June 1999. Both military facilities and civilian infrastructure were under attack. The alliance cited ethnic cleansing carried out by the Milosevic government as the reason for the airstrikes. Why the decision was made to bomb the country, whether there were alternatives, and what the consequences were were discussed by diletant experts. media

Questions:

Why was the decision made to bomb Yugoslavia?

Andrey Ostalsky

A few decades earlier, civil war, genocide and mass extermination in the center of Europe would have been considered something deplorable, but internal matter countries. It’s sad, of course, but what can you do, both politicians and the population would shrug their shoulders. At the end of the twentieth century, Western public opinion I could no longer tolerate this, especially since television brought this bloody horror into every home every day. Governments Western countries For a long time they tried to stop the massacre with persuasion, appeals and threats, but every day the situation became more and more difficult and terrible.

Boris Shmelev

The thing is that by the spring of 1999, negotiations between Milosevic and the West regarding the normalization of the situation in Kosovo had reached a dead end. The West insisted that the OSCE monitor the situation in Kosovo. And he wanted NATO troops to be deployed in Kosovo to protect these observers from the OSCE. Moreover, these troops should have had extraterritorial status. That is, they should have the right to move freely not only in Kosovo, but throughout the entire territory of Serbia. In fact, it was about a sharp reduction in the sovereignty of Serbia and, one might even say, about the occupation of Serbia. Milosevic could not agree to this. No one in the country would allow him to do this. Those Russian efforts that were aimed at finding a compromise between the West and Serbia were unsuccessful. Negotiations in Rambouille, which were conducted in February - early March 1999, also did not lead to any positive results. After Milosevic rejected NATO's claims, the decision was made to begin the bombing.

Why was this issue not raised in the UN Security Council?

Andrey Ostalsky

The UN Security Council was paralyzed by a potential Russian veto, but the West did not want to put Russia in an impossible position and lead to an open quarrel.

Boris Shmelev

There was no Security Council decision, since Russia categorically objected to any violent actions against Serbia, and it did not support the idea of ​​sending NATO troops into Kosovo. Since it was impossible to adopt the corresponding resolution, which was based on the West’s ultimatum, due to Russia’s position, the United States and its allies decided to act bypassing the UN and the Security Council. From this point of view, we can say that their actions were not legitimate. In fact, it was Western aggression against a small European country.

What role did NATO bombing play in the fate of the country?

Andrey Ostalsky

NATO resorted to unilateral actions and, in general, to a forceful solution extremely reluctantly, simply not seeing any other way out. We tried to minimize casualties among the population, but we could not do without them. If not for NATO intervention, there would have been hundreds, if not thousands of times more casualties, and Yugoslavia could have long years, or even decades, remain a disaster zone.

Boris Shmelev

The NATO bombing forced Milosevic to accept a NATO ultimatum as the bombing lasted 74 days. They caused considerable damage to the country's economy. Died by different estimates up to two and a half thousand people. The West was eventually forced to come to the conclusion that Milosevic's Serbia could not be broken by bombing alone. Or we need to intensify these bombings and wipe out cities, and not just military infrastructure, from the face of the Earth. And, in fact, they have already begun this, to destroy the country’s civilian industrial infrastructure, disabling power plants, disabling oil refineries, and electrical networks. The question also arose about what should be introduced in these conditions ground troops NATO to force Milosevic to accept the West's ultimatum. This involved fierce fighting and big losses from NATO troops, which was unacceptable. Ultimately, in the course of further negotiations, persuasion and persuasion on the part of Moscow, Milosevic agreed with the West's ultimatum, which was then used as the basis for a UN Security Council resolution, and the so-called peacekeeping troops, and they received a legitimate basis for staying in Serbia.

Did NATO have any problems with the bombing in Yugoslavia?

Andrey Ostalsky

There are no ideal 100 percent effective bombings. And not everything went the way NATO wanted, but the losses and casualties were, by usual standards, small. But go and tell the relatives of the victims about this. Our descendants will look at our generation with disgust and wonder: it’s the same for me, they couldn’t agree. We will look like barbarians in their eyes, but at the end of the twentieth century, not a single politician, not a single thinker could offer anything intelligible, no other way to stop the massacre. And yet, compare: the results of NATO airstrikes and the results of Russian bombings, which have almost wiped out half of Aleppo from the face of the Earth.

Boris Shmelev

There were no problems because the balance of power was in favor of NATO. The difference was gigantic. In Serbia there was no modern system Air defense. There were no fighter aircraft. Therefore, in essence, NATO members bombed these states with impunity. Losses were minimal. One STEALTH plane was shot down and, in my opinion, that’s it.

What would have happened if NATO had not intervened in the conflict?

Andrey Ostalsky

The Milosevic regime was the main instigator, strong point, his actions inevitably led to genocide and, potentially, the resumption of a full-scale civil war not only in Kosovo, but throughout the former Yugoslavia. Perhaps Milosevic would have been able to build a fascist state on the ruins, based solely on hatred and xenophobia and the myth of the national superiority of the Serbs, but such a state, inevitably poor and torn apart, would not have lasted long. And there would be new blood, new carnage, and no one knows how long it would take to return to normality - if it were even possible. Today Russia is conducting an unprecedented experiment, trying to military force and, at the cost of enormous human sacrifice, maintain a similar regime in Syria.

Boris Shmelev

If NATO had not intervened in this conflict, Kosovo would have remained part of Serbia. A civil war would continue in Kosovo, into which neighboring Albania would be drawn. I think that this would lead to a sharp aggravation of the situation in Macedonia and Montenegro, where large Albanian communities live and the situation there would be extremely tense. But Kosovo would have remained part of Serbia, and Milosevic would have remained in power.