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42
THE BATTLEFIELD AND THE BELLIGERENTS
Operation Storm was executed in the central part of the Republic of Croatia,
occupied and wrested from the control of the legal authorities of the Republic
of Croatia by synchronous action of the rebel Serbs and the Yugoslav People’s
Army, and named the Republic of Serbian Krajina (RSK). Th e RSK consisted of three
territorial units: the fi rst in Eastern Slavonia, Baranja and Srijem, the second in Western
Slavonia and the third, the largest, which comprised the area along the state border
between Croatia and Bosnia&Herzegovina, from Jasenovac to Benkovac, Knin and
the state border on Mount Dinara. Th e last two units accounted for 85% of the total
area of the RSK. 10 For several years rebel Serbs controlled a territory of 17,028 square
kilometres with a population - according to unreliable data - of about 430,000. Th e frontline
923 km long separated this territory from the part of the Republic of Croatia under
the control of lawfully elected Croatian authorities. Th e line dividing the RSK from the
Cazin Krajina was 118 km long. Th e greatest depth of the area - 63.1 km - was between
the villages of Škabrinja and Tiškovac. It was thinnest, about 2.5 km, at Jasenovac, then
- 12.5 km - from Vedro Polje (Sunja) to Kostajnica and - 19.5 km - from the village
of Čanak to the border with Bosnia&Herzegovina on Mount Plješivica. 11 Th e territory
was drawn out and broken up, which had a negative impact on conduct of war and
command, operational&strategic development and manoeuvring capability of the rebel
Serbian army. Th e low depth of the territory hampered the establishment of air bases,
the echeloning of material reserves and, hence, the support of combat operations, the
selection of positions for rocket systems and manoeuvring. Because of its great length and
relatively small depth the entire RSK battlefi eld could simultaneously be placed under
fi re control by the Croatian Army, which favoured cutting-off with a high potential for
strategic surprise. 12
Th e Croatian Army indeed considered a possible strategic surprise. It was formed in
1991 from police units, the National Guard and the Territorial Defence of the Republic of
10 For a more extensive history of the RSK see Nikica Barić, “Srpska pobuna u Hrvatskoj 1990-1995” (Serbian
Rebellion in Croatia 1990-1995), Golden marketing-Tehnička knjiga, Zagreb, 2005.
11 N. Barić, “Srpska pobuna u Hrvatskoj 1990-1995” (Serbian Rebellion in Croatia 1990-1995), 171-173;
Croatian State Archives (HDA), material on Republika Srpske Krajine (RSK): “Dostignuti nivo i dalji pravci
razvoja SVK (nedatirano i nepotpisano) (Achieved level and further lines of SVK development - undated
and unsigned).
12 HDA, RSK: “Dostignuti nivo i dalji pravci razvoja SVK (nedatirano i nepotpisano) (Achieved level and
further lines of SVK development - undated and unsigned), MORH.