General Information on Yugoslav Forces
Yugoslav Forces Structure
Source: United Kingdom's Ministry of Defence and Foreign and Commonwealth Office
http://www.mod.uk/news/kosovo/yugoforces.htm

Yugoslav Army (VJ) – Air Forces
Although some of the information presented by FAS may be questionable, this detailed document gives an interesting overview of the VJ’s Air Forces as of April 1999 (i.e. at the beginning of the 11-week war). Some history is provided as well…
Source: Federation of American Scientists – Intelligence Resource Program
Last time updated: April 06, 1999. 
http://www.fas.org/irp/world/serbia/af.htm

Yugoslav Army (VJ) – Ground Forces
Although some of the information presented by FAS may be questionable, this detailed document gives an interesting overview of the VJ’s Ground Forces as of February 1999 (i.e. before the 11-week war). Some history given as well…
Source: Federation of American Scientists – Intelligence Resource Program
Last time updated: February 19, 1999.
http://www.fas.org/irp/world/serbia/army.htm

General Information on NATO Forces
NATO Forces Structure
Source: NATO, http://www.nato.int/structur/struc-cos.htm

General Information on KFOR Forces 
Source: KFOR, http://www.kforonline.com/
 

Yugoslav Losses Due to NATO Bombing of FR Yugoslavia

Serb army ‘unscathed by Nato’, Robert Fisk, The Independent
In one of the probably most unbalanced wars (in terms of the military and economic power of the sides involved in conflict), Yugoslav army happens to be ‘unscathed by Nato’... NATO killed far more Serb civilians than soldiers during its 11-week bombardment of the country and most of the Yugoslav Third Army emerged unscathed from the massive air attacks on its forces in Kosovo... Nato officers have been astonished by the fact that thousands of Yugoslav tanks, missile launchers, artillery batteries, personnel carriers and trucks have been withdrawn from the province with barely a scratch on them…
Source:The Independent, 21 June, 1999
http://www.srpska-mreza.com/library/facts/bad-soldier.html

MIGs at Airfield Leave Unscathed
"NATO had few more important targets during its air strikes against Yugoslavia than the airfield at Pristina, the capital of Kosovo, which was pounded by NATO bombs meant to destroy MIG fighters and other hardware there. So how did at least 11 MIG-21 fighters at the base manage to survive?"
It seems, Yugoslav Army knew how to secure its hardware and planes…
Source: The New York Times, June 12, 1999,
http://www.srpska-mreza.com/library/facts/bad-soldier.html

Long-Hidden Troops Emerge to Start Pullout, By Daniel Williams
"Across Kosovo today, a nearly invisible army came into the open. For 11 weeks, 40,000 soldiers and policemen had been scattered across the countryside in small groups, the better to pursue separatist ethnic Albanian guerrillas and avoid annihilation by NATO jets. Tanks were disguised as haystacks, armored cars as trees. Fuel trucks were festooned with rugs, missile launchers buried."
Source:Washington Post Foreign Service, Friday, June 11, 1999, Page A01
http://www.srpska-mreza.com/library/facts/bad-soldier.html

The General's war of words, By Robert Fisk, The Independent
"Yesterday, General Wesley Clark, supreme commander of Nato forces in the Kosovo campaign, had his say… …What the good general wanted to tell us was that Nato really had hit more than 100 Serb tanks. Never mind that dozens of journalists who watched the Serb retreat through Kosovo never saw a damaged tank, let alone a destroyed one. Never mind that we could only account for three destroyed armoured vehicles and five lorries (plus a jeep which I saw upended in the ruins of Djakovica police station...
Seems someone is lying! ! Who and why?
Anyway, one more compliment to Yugoslav army for its ability to have such minimal losses even when confronted with the most powerful military alliance gathered ever!"
Source: The Independent, 17 September 1999 
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/World/Europe/clark170999.shtml

Succesful Defence Based on Unity of the People and the Army
"The YA together with the Ministry of Interior forces and other defence elements, relying on the support of the people, managed to resist an aggressor 37 times stronger in the military and technical sense…During the aggression on our country about 1,200 aircraft were used – 850 them combat planes. 26,289 sorties were made to launch about 1,000 cruise missiles and about 2,900 bombs and other AG missiles. The enemy carried out 2,300 raids on 955 facilities in FR Yugoslavia using sophisticated weaponry, mostly highly destructive guided missiles. Some 21,700 tons of high explosive were droped on the FR Yugoslavia…Using skilled manouvers, adequate tactical, operational and strategic procedures as well as efficient commanding on all levels … stressed Ojdanic … we managed to infict unexpected losses to the enemy air force by downing 61 aggressor aircraft, 30 UAVs, 7 helicopters and 238 cruise missiles…"
Source: Stab Vrhovne Komande Vojske Jugoslavije - Informativna sluzba
Yugoslav Army Supreme Command Headquarters - Information Service, 18.06.1999.
http://www.gov.yu/presscvj/clanci/68_cl/68cl.htm
 

NATO Losses During NATO Bombing of FR Yugoslavia

NATO losses (confirmed by NATO)
Source: VENIK’S AVIATION PAGE
August 08, 1999
http://members.xoom.com/082499/aviation/nws001/crashes01.htm
http://members.xoom.com/082499/aviation/index.htm

Yugoslav Army Official Report: http://www.warfacts.org.yu/tourofduty/index.html

The Mission Invisible 
Photo gallery: Remains of the US Air Force F-117 stealth aircraft and other photographs
Source: Yugoslav Army Supreme Command Headquarters - Information Service
http://www.gov.yu/presscvj/foto/f01-f117/f117.htm
 
 

Morale of YU Army During NATO Bombing of FR Yugoslavia:
Paul Watson, LA Times reporter, together with one of the rare Western journalist that spent the 11-week war traveling across the Serbian province of Kosovo, gave us a bit of taste of the morale and state of the mind of Serbian people and Yugoslav army in the province: "…they… welcome the chance to fight NATO head on…"
Source: LA Times, http://www.latimes.com/archives/
See articles below: 

Serbs See History as Being on Their Side
Sunday, April 25, 1999, Home Edition, ID: 0990037324, Special Section
Paul Watson, Times Staff Writer
"…Just 19 years old and built like a wall, Rade Vulic is a prime candidate for conscription. If NATO invades Kosovo, he could well find himself on the front line opposite the most powerful military force on Earth… ‘This bombing gives us great morale,’ the business student said as an accordion band played at one of the regular noon rallies in Pristina, the provincial capital. ‘The more they bomb us, the more stubborn we are.’ "
‘We survived World War I and World War II, and life under the Turks for 500 years, so this isn’t much to talk about. You just have to understand the psychology of the Serbs, and NATO obviously doesn't.’
…Serbs like Vulic say the air assault won’t break them, although they would welcome the chance to fight NATO head on instead of waiting for bombs to fall…"This is not man against man, as it would be with a ground force. That would be a real war, but this isn't," he said. …Like many European countries, Yugoslavia requires young men to do a one-year stint in the armed forces as their national service. Some have dodged the draft, but many others like Vulic insist that they are ready to fight. They seem to have Serbian society behind them…"

Allies, Orthodox Serbs Wait for Other to Crack First
Monday, April 12, 1999 Home Edition, ID: 0990032842 PART A Section
Paul Watson, Times Staff Writer
"…At the close of Orthodox Easter services in Serbia's cherished 14th century Gracanica monastery, the priest invited soldiers and police to be the first to kiss the cross, and then his hand. Young men in green camouflage uniforms, with combat knives or handguns strapped to their webbed belts, bowed and received broken bits of bread, the blessed flesh of Christ. And then a nun dressed in a black habit reached into a bucket and drew out, for each man, an egg--dyed red to symbolize life... But near the monastery's front door, which the faithful kissed as they entered, worshipers lighted dozens of candles and prayed for God to protect their loved ones, whether sick, in danger or dead...There was also an open registry for anyone who wanted to write down thoughts for safekeeping in a monastery that got its first printing press and library in 1539…NATO and U.S. military officials at the Pentagon claim that, after nearly three weeks of sustained bombardment, Yugoslav soldiers and Serbian police units are doing their best to hide and stay alive in Kosovo. But southwest of the provincial capital, Pristina, on Sunday, during a driving tour that was neither restricted nor monitored by Serbian officials, there were few signs that Milosevic's troops were in retreat..."

When the first NATO air strike started, the attackers were confronted by the heroic "Knights" squadron - One of them was Major Nebojsa Nikolic
Western world does not have war heroes any more (even if they exist they belong to well classified shelves). In its 11-weak war with NATO, Yugoslav Army and Yugoslav people had such honor to recognize some of them; "…we fight with our heart and with the determination to defend our country, and they are doing it for money…"- says Major Nebojsa Nikolic, one of the Yugoslav heroes, recipient of the Medal for Courage, about NATO pilots.
Source: Yugoslav Army Supreme Command Headquarters - Information Service, April 1999.
http://www.gov.yu/presscvj/clanci/04_cl/04_cl.htm
 

Post-Bombing Kosovo:

Military Technical Agreement Between the International Security Force ("KFOR") and the Governments of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and the Republic of Serbia: http://www.kforonline.com/resources/documents/mta.htm

Yugoslav Military Threatens New Fight
Sunday, September 12, 1999, Home Edition ID: 0990081527, PART A Section
Paul Watson And Scott Martelle, Times Staff Writers
"The Yugoslav army is making ominous threats that it will force its way back into Kosovo if the United Nations doesn't soon deliver on a promise to let some Serbian soldiers and police return to the southern province."
Source: LA Times, http://www.latimes.com/archives/
 
 

See related articles in this archive (Post-bombing Kosovo, KLA, Destruction by NATO) as well as http://www.kosovo.com for recent events.
 
 
 
 

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