storm - Hrvatski memorijalno-dokumentacijski centar Domovinskog ...

Batnoga - Cetingrad road and hit the “Stara Straža” depot near Knin. Eleven MiG-21s were
committed in the strikes. An Mi-24 helicopter was engaged successfully for anti-armour
combat: it attacked Serbian positions and armour along the Sisak - Moščenica road. Th e eff ect
of the strike against Serbian armour at Kamensko is not known. Th ree MiG-21s were engaged
for air defence in the Ivanić Grad and Sinj zone. Five Mi-8 helicopters transported 7 wounded
men, 231 troops and 15.5 tons of payload. Five MiG-21s were lightly damaged in action. 450
On 6 August HRZ aircraft destroyed a multiple rocket launcher and several tanks in the
area between Babina Gora and Velika Brda, neutralized a number of tanks at Marinbrod,
neutralized a command post and mortar positions at Brezova Glava, and destroyed a bridge at
Mala Glina. An Mi-24 anti-armour helicopter destroyed 2 tanks north of Slunj at the hamlet
of Kozlina. Two MiG-21s patrolled the Ivanić Grad zone, but failed to intercept two lowfl
ying Republika Srpska aircraft because of heavy haze. Th ree Mi-8 helicopters transported 19
wounded troops and 2.5 tons of payload. 451
On the fourth day of the operation, 7 August, the HRZ reported the neutralization of the
command post at Srb, the destruction of several tanks at Medeno Polje near Bosanski Petrovac
and the destruction of a depot in Lička Kaldrma. 452 Th e aircraft also carried out a demonstration
overfl ight of Serbian units refusing to surrender in the area of Topusko - Žirovec. 453
Th e last HRZ action took place on 8 August. It reported the destruction of several tanks on
the Bosanski Novi railway station and the destruction of a small armoured column at Svodne
on the Bosanski Novi - Prijedor road. Two MiG-21s were lightly damaged. 454
Th e impact of the SVK Air Force and Air Defence was insignifi cant. Its main units were the
105 th Air Brigade and the Air Defence 44 th Rocket Brigade. Th e Air Brigade was supposed to
support the North Dalmatian and the Lika Corps. Helicopters were prepared for anti-armour
action on call. On the fi rst day of Storm the brigade carried out several strikes against Croatian
forces on Mount Dinara and against Gospić. On 5 August it began to move to the VRS Zalužani
airport near Banja Luka and completed the operation by the evening on 6 August. 455
Th e SVK Air Force and Air Defence focused on protecting Knin, the Udbina airbase and the
Special Unit Corps at Slunj. One rocket battalion of the Air Defence 44 th Rocket Brigade was
deployed in the area of Šamarica and prepared the attack on Sisak, Sunja and Nebojan; aft er
the start of Storm, it fi red eight rockets on these localities. Th ose were also the last rockets
fi red. According to Serbian sources, the Croatian Air Force did not manage to reach the
area protected by the KUB-M rocket system. 456
450 MORH, GSHV: HRZ and PZO command, cl. 8/95-01/09, reg. no. 3044-14-95-62 of 5 August 1995; Regular battle
report.
451 MORH, GSHV: HRZ and PZO command, cl. 8/95-01/09, reg. no. 3044-14-95-81 of 6 August 1995; Regular battle
report.
452 MORH, GSHV: HRZ and PZO command, cl. 813-07/95-01/04, reg. no. 3044-14-95-192 of 17 August 1995; Analysis.
453 MORH, GSHV: HRZ and PZO command, cl. 8/95-01/09, reg. no. 3044-14-95-101 of 7 August 1995; Report.
454 MORH, GSHV: HRZ and PZO command, cl. 8/95-01/09, reg. no. 3044-14-95-106 of 8 August 1995; Analysis. MORH,
GSHV: HRZ and PZO command, cl. 813-07/95-01/04, reg. no. 3044-14-95-192 of 17 August 1995; Analysis.
455 M. Sekulić, “Knin je pao u Beogradu” (Knin Fell in Belgrade), 240-245.
456 M. Sekulić, “Knin je pao u Beogradu” (Knin Fell in Belgrade), 242-246. In his overview of Storm Sekulić frequently
claimed that NATO had helped the Croatian armed forces. Th ere is no proof supporting such a claim, and it only refl ects
a world view which saw an anti-Serbian conspiracy in everything.
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