26.05.2020.

The 21st anniversary of the Battle of Paštrik marked

Minister Vulin: Just as 21 years ago surrender was not an option, so forgetting is not an option today

Today, the Minister of Defence, Aleksandar Vulin, laid a wreath in Leskovac at the Memorial Fountain dedicated to the memory of the victims of the 1990-1999 wars, on the occasion of marking the 21st anniversary of the Battle of Paštrik.

Wreaths were also laid by the members of the War Command of the 549th Motorized Brigade, participants in the battle and the Mayor of Leskovac, Goran Cvetanović.

After the wreath-laying ceremony, Minister Vulin recalled that 21 years ago, the Yugoslav Armed Forces and their heroic 549th Brigade stopped and drove back the NATO aggressor, not allowing it to enter the territory of our country by land.

- Twenty-one years ago, a criminal NATO aggression took place, and no one was held responsible for it and it seems that the world pretends that no one should be held responsible. For 21 years Serbia has not stopped reminding the whole world, and for 21 years the whole world has been trying to pretend that NATO aggression never occurred, that there were no crimes, that there was no sovereign country, that there was no fragmentation of Serbian territory. Twenty-one years ago, the 549th Brigade showed why it is heroic and why it is a part of the heroic people, and 21 years later, we must not allow it to be forgotten - Minister Vulin emphasized.

If we forget, the Minister of Defence added, and if Serbia stops seeking justice, and if Serbia stops remembering, it will happen again, it will happen again to some other, small and free nation.

- And for that reason, Serbia chose to be neutral, so that no one could ever order our armed forces to do to some other nation what they did to us. Just as 21 years ago surrender was not an option for the 549th Brigade, for our people, for all of us, so forgetting is not an option today - concluded Minister Vulin.

Retired General Božidar Delić, the War Commander of the 549th Motorized Brigade, pointed out that the combat operations on Paštrik were "the most difficult battles fought during the 1999 aggression."

- We knew that we must not allow a single enemy soldier to be on our territory while peace negotiations were being conducted and we knew that we had to create conditions for our political leadership to discuss peace on an equal basis - said General Delić, adding that they succeeded in doing so.

Speaking about the importance of the Battle of Paštrik and the memory of its heroes, the participants in that battle, retired General Stojan Konjikovac said that the participants in the combat action should be respected and esteemed, in order to set an example to young generations of "how they should act in new challenges today ".

- We are witnesses that the Battles of Košare and Paštrik were not talked about for a long time. In recent years, they have been talked about, films have been made, and monuments have been erected. We should continue with that practice and respect everyone, especially soldiers with health and financial issues - Konjikovac pointed out and said that "the greatest heroes are young soldiers, reservists, and volunteers who have suffered the consequences of these battles."

According to the Mayor of Leskovac, Goran Cvetanović, the monument called "The Broken Thread of Life" symbolizes the suffering of those whose names are written on the memorial plaque, as well as all the families who lost their fathers, brothers and sons.

- The monument dedicated to fallen soldiers in the conflicts and 1990-1999 NATO aggression is an eternal reminder of their courage, commitment, but also love for this country. It is our obligation to preserve the memory of them, their sacrifice and the sacrifice of their loved ones. They sacrificed themselves and were always at the service of the homeland and our people. We have erected the monument in order to at least repay a small portion of our eternal debt to them, to be brave in the face of history, ancestors and future generations - said Cvetanović.

On Paštrik, The Yugoslav Armed Forces defended the territory of the FRY against a land offensive that the KLA terrorists tried to carry out from the direction of the Republic of Albania towards Kosovo and Metohija in cooperation with the Albanian Armed Forces, aided by intensive bombing by NATO aviation.

Thanks to the brave fight of the border and other units of the Yugoslav Armed Forces, the enemy was prevented from breaking and destroying our defence and opening the way for additional infiltration of terrorists into the territory of Kosovo and Metohija.

The Yugoslav Armed Forces remained undefeated in the Battle of Paštrik and inflicted huge losses on the enemy. In the battles on Paštrik, 26 members of the Yugoslav Armed Forces were killed.

The 549th Motorized Brigade was awarded the Order of the People's Hero for exceptional results in opposing the aggressor and for showing true heroism in the war.