01.04.2019.

Minister Vulin: We have something to be proud of, aggressors against Serbia do not

- The Battle of Košare is a battle that, just like the Battle of Paštrik, stopped the land intervention of the NATO. It did not, however, stop just because these brave, extraordinary young men stopped the physical advance of the units that were in front of them, but because the aggressor learned what kind of resistance they would encounter. All those talks about the lack of political support, that agreement was impossible to reach, that there were no adequate forces in the area, are not true. The only truth is that these people showed the resistance of the Yugoslav Army – said Minister of Defense Aleksandar Vulin at a press conference dedicated to the documentary film “War Stories from Košare”(“Ратне приче са Кошарa“), organized today at the Central Military Club in Belgrade.

According to Minister Vulin, that is why there was no NATO intervention, and that is why NATO did not even try to risk heavy losses, though letting Shiptars in front of them.

- That is why there was no land invasion, and it is all thanks to these people. The film is a monument to all those who remained forever on Košare, but also a monument to those who survived, a monument to one armed force, a monument to one nation. This film had to be and should have been filmed much earlier, decades ago. Unfortunately, it was not, and it is up to us, to at least now, pay the debt to all who gave their lives there, but also to those who survived – emphasized Minister Vulin.

Speaking about the importance of the film, the Minister of Defense pointed out that it is the proof of how just we were and how truthful as a nation.
- We made a film about people with actual names and surnames, people who have faces and who spoke the truth. Those who bombed us, those we fought against at Košare, are very powerful countries and much inclined towards filming movies, making exhibitions and writing books about every part of their history. There are no films about the aggression against FR Yugoslavia or the battle at Košare, that they recorded; and no stories were written. All because there is no name to hide behind and explain that the NATO aggression was justified or that they were brave or brilliant soldiers – said Minister Vulin.

On the other hand, he added, we have our heroes, because these people were heroes – heroes in both life and death.

- They showed their courage twice – first at Košare and then when they talked about what they saw, experienced and survived. It was extremely hard for these people to speak, to go back to that time, to recall all the death surrounding them, to remember who they were at that time. And it is a great honor and pride for us that the film about Košare was made on our watch, as this is a way to at least express a part of our gratitude – said Minister Vulin.

- Whatever the future may bring, no one will ever be able to tell lies about those who defended this land at Košare or Paštrik, but also on the squares, bridges and wherever it was needed. This was a war in which there was no front line or rear – all were targets and 79 children died because all of us were targets – Minister Vulin emphasized, adding that whatever comes in the future, we will have whom to rely on, whom to be proud of and say thank you.

Film author Slađana Zarić, speaking about the motives for making this film, pointed out that the battle of Košare was little known and spoken about over the past years, and that little is known about what really happened there.

- What motivated me to do this film is the courage of the boys who defended their homeland at that time, their sacrifice and their readiness to protect the state border of the then FRY until the last moment – emphasized author Zarić, adding the film was shot for almost a year, and as she communicated, the team tried to tell the truth about the “hell of Košare” as accurately as possible.

At today’s conference, those who took part in the battle of Košare, also actors of the film, included Ivan Dražić, a soldier of 53 Border-guard Battalion, who recalled the names of the fellow fighters who died towards the end of September 1999 in combat tasks and emphasized that he was proud of all the people who then participated in the defense of the country, especially because at that time, although young, aged only 19 and 20, they fought bravely and with honor.
A soldier of the then 125 Motorized Brigade, Ivica Kolev, spoke about his experiences from Košare today, and pointed out that for all the participants from all the units the battle of Košare is something that marks a milestone in their lives.

- I believe that all my companions would agree that there is life before Košare and life after Košare. At Košare, we had the honor to defend our homeland against an attempt of land invasion, in which we kept the enemy out, but unfortunately lost 108 brothers in that battle – said Kolev.

Veteran of 63 Parachute Brigade and the witness of the horror of Košare, Vladimir Knežević, said that the film about Košare was shot extremely realistically, and that this film will bring some peace to them and their families, as it somehow finalizes the worst period in their lives as well as in the recent history.
The film “War Stories from Košare” is a memory of victims and an expression of gratitude to all who defended the state border at Košare in 1998 and 1999. The 9 April 1999 attack on the Košare border post is witnessed by the soldiers and officers who defended the homeland two decades ago and prevented the enemy from achieving their goal and penetrating Kosovo and Metohija territory.

This film was co-produced by the Ministry of Defense, Military Film Centre “Zastava Film” and RTS. The film will be premiered on Tuesday, 9 April, at 9pm on the RTS1 program, at the anniversary of the onset of the Battle of Košare. The team of authors, along with Slađana Zarić, also includes directors of photography Žarko Pekez and Petar Vujanić, editor Bojan Perišić, producers Snežana Rodić Sinđelić and Lieutenant Colonel Goran Ikonić, journalist Vesna Ilić and composer Vladimir Tošic.