14.06.2026.

Commemorative event marking 27th anniversary of Battle of Košare

A commemorative event held this evening at the National Theatre in Belgrade marked the 27th anniversary of the Battle of Košare.

The event was attended by Miloš Vučević, envoy of the President of the Republic of Serbia, deputy speakers of the National Assembly, Government ministers, State Secretary in the Ministry of Defence Mile Jelić, Deputy Chief of the Serbian Armed Forces General Staff Lieutenant General Tiosav Janković, members of the Defence Minister’s and Chief of the General Staff’s collegiums, members of the Ministry of Defence and the Serbian Armed Forces, veterans of the battle, Military Academy cadets, representatives of religious communities, as well as family members and friends of the fallen heroes.

On that occasion, President’s Envoy Vučević noted that throughout history and through all the maelstroms that our nation and the state had been drawn into, everything depended on the question “Who are we?” He added that the answer to that question determined whether the people would defend their country, as well as the depth of their loyalty and respect for the homeland, and the price they were willing to pay.

- All the heroes of Košare, both known and unknown, drew a sacred red boundary line along the Prokletije and Junik mountains. The fallen heroes remain there forever, standing guard over Serbia and over all of us, and that bulwark is unbreakable, insurmountable, and eternal – said Vučević, adding that, in memory of those who died, we must build a free, strong, and diligent Serbia, one that is reconciled and free from divisions. He also noted that what remains forever in the Prokletije mountain stands as a reminder that thought and faith do not die, and that through wisdom and love, hatred can be defeated and Serbia defended.

Addressing those present on behalf of the veterans of the Battle of Košare, Captain First Class Saša Antić (ret.), wartime commander of the Special-Purpose Military Police Company, said that neither extreme weather conditions, nor heavy artillery fire, nor continuous NATO air strikes, nor close-quarter fighting in some areas were able to make Serbian soldiers falter. They successfully carried out the mission entrusted to them by history – to defend the sacred land of Kosovo and Metohija and their homeland – Serbia.

Tatjana Đorđević, the daughter of Sergeant First Class Dragan Dušanić, addressed the audience on behalf of the families of all fallen servicemen. She said that Košare stand as a symbol of what the Serbian soldier is and what the Serbian people must never forget, and noted that the culture of remembrance is not merely a formal ceremony, but an act of love, respect, and truth. We owe remembrance to the heroes, she said, because a nation that forgets its heroes gradually forgets itself.

The event was hosted by the Government Committee for Nurturing the Traditions of the Liberation Wars of Serbia.

The Battle of Košare began on April 9 and lasted until June 14, 1999. Over the course of 67 days, members of the armed forces defended the state border, repelling the terrorist KLA’s attempts to carry out ground incursion into Serbian territory from Albania.