24.03.2026.
Commemorative ceremony marking Remembrance Day for Victims of NATO Aggression held
A state ceremony commemorating Remembrance Day for those who lost their lives during the NATO aggression was held this evening near the Monument to the Victims of NATO Aggression, outside the National Museum Gallery in Vranje. The event was attended by the President and Supreme Commander of the Serbian Armed Forces, Aleksandar Vučić.
The event was also attended by Minister of Defence Bratislav Gašić and the Chief of the Serbian Armed Forces General Staff, General Milan Mojsilović.The commemoration began with a memorial service conducted by His Holiness Serbian Patriarch Porfirije and members of the clergy, followed by a minute of silence in tribute to all the victims of the NATO aggression.
Addressing the gathering, President Vučić said that every year on March 24, we are surprised by the fact that, even after so many years, the wounds are far from healed.- Today, despite everything, we can say we see things much more clearly, there is no longer any doubt, everything is out in the open, crystal clear. All the wars we see around the world today, all the violence, and the erosion of principles and law, did not begin yesterday. They began on March 24, 1999 – emphasized the President of the Republic.
President Vučić noted that there are still those who build their identity on hatred toward Serbs, those who portray themselves as heroes while depicting Serbs as cowards who can only flee on tractors.
- Those tractors, same as our tanks, are not symbols of defeat. Politicians forced General Lazarević, who, as a soldier, followed his orders, to leave Kosovo and Metohija, despite having fought there heroically. The force we faced was tremendous. That is when we learned that our force must be greater, not only in the factories we build and the economy we develop, but also in a military that must be incomparably stronger, so that in the future it can protect every Milica, Sanja, Irena, Milena, and ensure that no boy or girl falls victim to a criminal hand ever again - the President said.He said that the absence of stronger emotions in his speech is the result of his duty as President of the Republic to protect our children and our future, to boost the economy, build the country, and strengthen the military. The President also warned all citizens of Serbia not to be naïve about the military alliance of Tirana, Priština, and Zagreb, pointing out that, despite repeated questions about why the alliance was formed, he still has not received an answer.
- I have not received an answer, and I never will. I will tell you – this alliance was formed so that, in the event of a conflict between Europe and the Russian Federation, they could control the Republic of Serbia from multiple directions and within a wider circle, and launch an attack on our country. We have understood the message and developed our military doctrine, and while some great powers have strength, but lack responsibility and seriousness, today’s Serbian state possesses all of those. We will not attack anyone, not Croats, not Albanians, but we will protect our country and maintain sufficient strength to protect and defend our people, and that is a right no one can ever take from us – President Vučić said.The President also noted that the aggression and crimes must never be forgotten, and that as a state, we must have enough strength to speak about them openly, everywhere.
- All that stands behind us is Serbia, the killed children, and our soldiers and police officers who gave their lives for the freedom we enjoy today. In a world of unrest and disorder, we will safeguard and preserve our stability, I have promised you that, but it cannot be done without strength, seriousness, and responsibility – President Vučić underlined.In his address, Milorad Dodik said that this day is remembered for what happened to our people. He noted that we were bombed by the largest military alliance in history and that depleted uranium was used against us, the effects of which are still felt today, as witnessed by the fact that many are still receiving treatment in healthcare institutions.
- They bombed us mercilessly, targeting bridges, schools, hospitals, moving trains, buses, and fields. They hit everything they could, they hit our national broadcaster, they hit and killed our people in an attempt to break our spirit – Dodik said. He noted that neither he nor the Serbian people should stop thanking President Vučić “for saving this day from oblivion” and, by gaining control of Serbia, restoring the nation's dignity.After conducting the memorial service for the victims of the NATO aggression, Patriarch Porfirije gave a speech, noting that today honours a sad yet sacred memory of one of the final “Golgothas” of our long-suffering, cross-bearing people. He added that the devastating bombing that began on this day turned our homeland into a scene of terror, leaving behind wreckage and burnt-out ruins.
- Our entire country, with all its cities, villages, and residents, without exception, was engulfed in the flame of war, unleashed unilaterally by the powerful. It consumed everything in its path - people, towns, neighbourhoods, cultural and natural heritage, and infrastructure. Among the hardest-hit places was Vranje and its surrounding area – Patriarch Porfirije emphasized, adding that today we gather to turn our words into prayers for all those who lost their lives in this city and region.Julijana Anđelković, the granddaughter of Mane Anđelković who was killed during the NATO aggression, also spoke at the commemoration, noting that she sees tonight’s gathering not merely as a tribute to the victims or a reflection on the past, but as an obligation to the future.
- It is our duty to remember the truth. It is our duty to nurture peace. It is our duty to teach both my generation and future ones how precious life is. As I speak these words today, I think of my grandfather, his smile, his voice, and all the moments we did not get the chance to share, but I also think of the more than two thousand people killed during the NATO aggression – Ms Anđelković said, emphasizing that the silent promise of her generation is to safeguard peace, respect life and one another, and build a future in which such suffering will never happen again.The commemorative ceremony was attended by Serbian Prime Minister Đuro Macut, the President of the National Assembly of Republika Srpska, Nenad Stevandić, Serbia’s and Republika Srpska’s government ministers, the President of the Provincial Government, Maja Gojković, the Deputy Prime Minister of North Macedonia, Ivan Stoilković, MPs, members of the Defence Minister’s and the Chief of the General Staff’s collegiums, members of the local government, representatives of religious communities and the diplomatic corps, families of the victims, and numerous citizens.
