Official Assessment of

Civilian Destruction in Yugoslavia

Federal Republic of Yugoslavia

Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Belgrade

April 12 - April 13, 1999

 "YUGOSLAV DAILY SURVEY" 

12 April 1999

Over 300 civilians, including many women, children and the elderly have lost their lives during over 1000 air strikes of the brutal and totally unprovoked NATO aggression on the FR of Yugoslavia which began on 24 March 1999. More than 3000 citizens suffered serious injuries, while several thousands of enterprises and tens of thousands of houses have been destroyed. In the area of Leskovac alone over 3 300 dwellings and industrial facilities have been damaged during the bombing thus far. According to the estimates coming from foreign sources, the material damage made in the FR of Yugoslavia has already exceeded 100 billion US dollars. 

The NATO aggressors have made the most of its attacks in the area of the Municipality of Pristina (54), Belgrade (43), Novi Sad (27), Kraljevo (21), Cacak (18) and Nis (17). Their criminal and destructive invasion resulted in a great demolishing of housings, particularly in Pristina, Cuprija, Novi Sad, Djakovica, Prokuplje, Gracanica, Aleksinac, as well as in the Belgrade housing complex Kijevo-Knezevac, Batajnica, Jakovo, Borca and in the neighborhood of Pancevo. Due to the bombing of oil refineries, fuel storage and chemical industry facilities, hundreds of thousands of people are exposed to poisonous gasses which will have lasting consequences to their health. 

More than 500 000 workers have become jobless due to the total destruction of numerous industrial facilities all around the country. Thus, the livelihood of about 2 million of people has been endangered because of the crimes of the power wheelers, and they have lost any source of living overnight.  

CIVILIAN VICTIMS OF HOSTILE NATO AGGRESSION 

After each attack on the selected targets in the territory of the FR of Yugoslavia, the aggressor has admitted only their actions against military and police facilities. However, many civilians lost their lives during the aggressor s bloody feast. The consequence of more than 1000 criminal NATO attacks involving 600 aircrafts and 800 cruise missiles has been devastating. Over 3000 tons of explosives have been launched on 150 targets. Such a destructive power has caused enormous sufferings and pain of the civilians in the FR of Yugoslavia. 

The citizens of Aleksinac (16 killed and over 50 injured), Pristina (14 killed and great number of wounded), Kursumlija (12 killed and 35 injured), and people of the village of Nagavac near Orahovac (12 killed and many injured) experienced a real hell, while the barbarian bombings of twenty other towns in Serbia have also resulted in tens of civilian causalities and hundreds of severely wounded people. The aggressors have not stopped at demolishing the very center of Belgrade, Zemun, Pristina, Djakovica, Aleksinac and Cuprija. The refugee camps in Pristina and Nis have been also become the target of NATO bombings when 15 refugees from Croatia and Bosnia and Hercegovina have lost their lives. More than 30 000 refugees have become homeless.  

VICTIMS OF ALBANIAN TERRORISTS 

Simultaneously with the beginning of the NATO aggression on the FR of Yugoslavia, Albanian terrorist gangs have intensified their attacks on the citizens and police. In the period between 24 March to 8 April 1999, there were 90 terrorist attacks in Kosovo and Metohija in which 76 people (mostly civilians) were killed. Most of those terrorist attacks were made during the first day of the NATO aggression and the target of those criminals included, among others, the members of the Yugoslav Army. This illustrates that the attacks of the NATO aggressive forces are synchronized with the terrorist actions of Albanian separatist gangs. 

One more example that the NATO attacks have been aimed at achieving the goals of the Albanians terrorists and separatists is the fact that the only ethnically pure settlements in which the members of the Serbian nationality live (Gracanica, Kosovo Polje, Koretiste near Gnjilane, Mogila and Vrbovac near Kosovska Vitina, Belo Polje near Pec and other places) were the selective targets of the first air strikes. Even the Orthodox Christian cemeteries were not spared during those attacks. The NATO Pact criminals used during those attacks the weapons banned by the international conventions: claster bombs and slow activating bombs.  

ENORMOUS MATERIAL DESTRUCTION 

During the attacks of NATO aggressive forces, a great number of industrial facilities, public enterprises, schools, nurseries, universities, medical centers, housings, bridges, radio and TV centers and their relay stations were destroyed or severely damaged. In the attacks on the Radio and TV relay Station Tornik three civilians were killed. The precious cultural and historical monuments and monasteries, including those which are under the UNESCO protection (Gracanica and Pecka Patrijarsija) were not spared either. 

The list of demolished and damaged factories is too long. During the bombardment of the "Crvena Zastava" car factory in Kragujevac 124 workers were injured. The aggressors knew that the workers were in the factory because the TV images about that had been broadcasted already all around the world. Hundreds of other industrial facilities were severely demolished such as Agricultural Aviation Factory "Lola UTVA" in Pancevo, "Galenika" Pharmaceutical Industry and "21 May" in Belgrade, "Zdravlje" Pharmaceutical Industry in Leskovac, "Sloboda" Household Appliances in Cacak, Tobacco Factory and Electronic Goods Factory in Nis, "Div" Cigarette Factory in Vranje, Tubes and Pipes Factory in Urosevac, "Jastrebac" Machine Industry in Nis, "Milan Blagojevic" Chemical Industry in Lucani, Plastics Factory and Factory of Shock Absorbers in Pristina, as well as the factories in Novi Sad "Albus", "Petar Drapsin", "Tehnogas", "Novograp", "Izolacija", "Novokabl", "Guminis" and "Montis". The industrial facilities were also attacked in Kula, Krumsumlija, Gnjilane, Sremska Mitrovica, Apatin and in other towns. 

Specially destructive both for the population and for the environment were the criminal attacks of NATO bombs and cruise missiles on oil refinery and fuel station in Pancevo, Novi Sad, Smederevo, Sombor, Belgrade, Pristina, Bogutovac, Lipovica and Kljajicevo. The blaze caused by the bombardment resulted in vast pollution of soil and air and threatened to provoke an ecologic catastrophe of enormous proportions. 

A great number of bridges were demolished and damaged (Varadin bridge and "Sloboda" bridge, "Zezelj" bridge in Novi Sad, the bridge near Beska, then "25 Maj" bridge between Backa and Palanka and Ilok, the bridge connecting Kosovska Mitrovica and Ribarici, the bridge over the Nis-Pristina highway, railway bridge near Usce and others. The international navigation on the river of Danube has been completely discontinued by the demolition of the bridges in Novi Sad. 

Even communication lines were not spared such as the railroads Kraljevo- Kosovo Polje, Kursumlija-Prokuplje, Nis-Pristina, while a section of the Beograd-Bar railroad (going through the Republic of Srpska) was destroyed by the saboteurs from SFOR in Bosnia and Hercegovina. The following roads were also damaged: Ibarska highway, Beograd-Zagreb highway, Adriatic Highway in the section between Kosovska Mitrovica-Ribarici. 

The Batajnica and Surcin airports in Belgrade, as well as the Slatina airport in Pristina and Golubovac airport in Podgorica including the airport in Nis were also the targets of the aggressor. 

"YUGOSLAV DAILY SURVEY"

13 April 1999 

Yesterday and last night, the target of criminal NATO alliance was again industrial and civilian facilities all around the FR of Yugoslavia.

In addition to industrial facilities, neo-fascists are shelling also hospitals, schools, cultural monuments of priceless value, which is in contradiction with all norms of civilization. The attacks on the mentioned facilities illustrate that the criminal alliance is directly destroying the facilities of infrastructure and industry which are essential for the normal functioning of every-day life and work, as well as for the restoration of our country. 

In Aleksinac one third of all dwellings is damaged, while more that 80 housing units cannot be used for living. For example, in Toplica region, more than 1000 housing units have been destroyed. 

There is an enormous bitterness in Krusevac because of the demolition of the town's Central Heating plant and "14 Oktobar" industry of machines and spare parts, so that more than 6000 workers are left with no means for living and are therefore unable to provide a minimum existence to their families. 

An archaeological site near Nis fortress where the remains of Roman aqueduct have been discovered and where the detail excavations of the remains from Byzantine period have been made, were endangered during the last attack on Nis on 7 April 1999. 

However, the killings of civilians do not affect those who have given an order for their destruction. Bill Clinton addressed again the Americans yesterday explaining that he is actually "establishing peace" by bombing and killing civilians, children and innocent people in Yugoslavia. This monstrous massage was given by Clinton in his Hitler like speech in Louisiana air base which he visited in order to give support to US pilots and soldiers he had sent to bomb and shell Yugoslav and Serbian people.  

GRDELICA GORGE 

The criminal NATO killers have drastically crossed once again the boundary of humanity and violated the basic norms of civilization. An international passenger train No. 393 operating on the regular Belgrade -Thessaloniki line was directly targeted and hit by several missiles near Grdelica gorge at 11.40 a.m. yesterday. 

The train was hit on the Bistrica bridge in Grdelica gorge between Grdelica and Predajan. The missiles of the criminal NATO aviation hit and completely destroyed the second railway carriage. Other three carriages were burnt or derailed.According to the preliminary information, ten innocent civilians including a ten year old child lost their lives in this cowardly act on the passenger train, while 16 passengers suffered severe or mild injuries. The bridge was significantly damaged while the rail-road traffic, telephone and other installations are cut off. 

At the same time, the criminal NATO aviation attacked in the broader region of Grdelica, south of Leskovac targeting the road bridge at the Nis-Skoplje highway.  

BELGRADE 

Enemy aviation attacked the broader area of the city of Belgrade last night. 

One hostile missile fell in the near vicinity of the construction site of the new sports arena in Novi Beograd. Fortunately it did not explode. The other missile shot by air defence system of the Army of Yugoslavia exploded in the vicinity of the "Genex" tower in Novi Beograd.  

PANCEVO 

The aircrafts of the criminal NATO aviation bombed on three occasions the Pancevo oil refinery. 

According to the first estimation, the damage made on facilities of the refinery is over half million dollars. During its actions the aggressor demolished the facilities of the Pancevo refinery which will not be possible to operate for a long time. 

In addition to the demolition of the oil processing facilities, other buildings of the refinery were also damaged: windows were broken, roofs were shaken. A great damage was made also to the medieval monastery Vojlovica situated in the vicinity of the refinery.  

NOVI SAD 

The refinery in Novi Sad was also hit by one missile of the aggressive NATO aviation in the early morning hours yesterday. 

A couple minutes after 11 p.m. the night before, NATO aviation attacked "NAFTAGAS" fuel storage located between the village of Conoplja and Kljajicevo, ten kilometres eastern from Sombor.

Two missiles were fired on this civilian facility. None was injured during this monstrous fifth attack on the "NAFTAGAS" fuel storage.  

FRUSKA GORA

During several bombardments of Novi Sad and Fruska Gora, the aircrafts of the criminal NATO alliance fired also missiles only 200 meters from the borders of Irig district. This attacks caused material damages to a civilian settlement near Iri{ki Venac and near the Institute for Coronary Diseases in Sremska Mitrovica. 

The iconostasis of the Fruska Gora monastery Hopovo was damaged by the blast. That famous monastery is situated about 2 kilometres away >from the site of explosion by air. 

KRAGUJEVAC 

For the second time since the outbreak of war NATO enemy planes struck against "Zastava Car Factory" in Kragujevac. According to initial information, 36 workers sustained injuries in this criminal attack. During this cowardly overflight of the brutal air force 15 missiles of devastating effect were fired. 

Again, the same facilities were under attack as on 9 April 1999 - forge plant and the car factory, but also some new ones, tools factory and the electronic computer centre, which were totally destroyed.

According to initial rough estimates, material destruction stands at over one billion dollars.  

KRALJEVO 

At mid-night exactly NATO aggressor planes fired several missiles hitting the Ladjevci airport near Kraljevo. For now, there is no confirmation whether there were any causalities. 

NATO planes struck tonight against Mount Kopaonik. Two fires broke out, although it is not known whether they were started by the fallen missiles in view of the fact that air defence systems were activated in the area.  

CACAK 

In the area of Cacak, the other night and yesterday, NATO aggressor planes struck against and hit with one missile the "Sloboda" factory complex. This was the fifth air strike against the biggest industrial capacity in this part of Serbia. So far, more than 20 missiles were fired on the "Sloboda" factory in Cacak.  

GORNJI MILANOVAC 

Yesterday, around 2.10 p.m. a NATO missile fell and exploded in the orchard of Dragan Glusic in the village of Vracani, about 7km from Gornji Milanovac. The missile landed 30 meters away from Gusic's home, it caused considerable material damage, although there were no causalities. This missile attack has shown once again that not even civilian targets were spared by NATO forces, because the Glusic family definitely poses no threat to US interests in the Balkans.  

PRISTINA 

(1) In the repeated attack of NATO aggressor on Pristina, the third during yesterday, carried out at 2.25 p.m. along Pristina-Kosovo Polje road, close to the agricultural school, two civilians were killed and one seriously injured. 

According to the account of the eye-witness Vukasin Andric, provincial health secretary, the aggressor missile hit a passenger car "Ford Escort" which was totally destroyed by the blast killing two people and seriously wounding another, who was transported to the Clinical Hospital Centre in Pristina and is in critical condition. 

Another missile fell immediately after the first one close to the primary road leading from Pristina to Kosovo Polje and further to Pec at the time when traffic was heaviest. 

NATO aggressor fired two more missiles south-west of Pristina in the afternoon yesterday. The local power supply station was targeted because of which Pristina was without electricity, as well as the local cotton yarn mill. 

In the area of Lipljan close to the village of Crni Breg, NATO aggressor fired cluster bombs, deadly weapon which has been prohibited by all international conventions. 

(2) "JUGOPETROL" warehouse and the plastics factory, which are located on the road to Kosovo Polje, were hit by six missiles. 

One fuel tank was in flames and the plastics factory is also ablaze. Fire brigades are trying to put out the fire on the ground. 

Close to the hit civilian facilities is the Orthodox Christian Cementary which was targeted on the night of 6-7 April 1999. 

From midnight until 2 a.m. more than 15 missiles were fired on the southern and south-eastern suburbs of Pristina.