Ratko Mladić, the 'Butcher of Bosnia,' dies at 84

Ratko Mladić, the formidable and feared commander of the Bosnian Serb army, has died at the age of 84. Known infamously as the "Butcher of Bosnia," Mladić orchestrated a brutal campaign of "ethnic cleansing" during the violent breakup of Yugoslavia in the 1990s. This campaign resulted in the deaths of tens of thousands of men, women, and children, as he pursued a vision of a Greater Serbia.

Mladić's leadership was marked by extreme brutality and fanaticism. He was responsible for some of Europe's bloodiest atrocities since World War II. His forces laid siege to Sarajevo for 1,425 days, killing and maiming civilians with constant shelling and sniper fire. In a particularly horrific event, his troops overran the UN-declared safe area of Srebrenica, where 8,000 men and boys were later massacred.

Alongside his political counterpart Radovan Karadžić, Mladić was instrumental in tearing Bosnia apart through acts of genocide and heinous crimes against humanity. Despite facing trial at The Hague, Mladić displayed no remorse, reportedly offering a "cheery thumbs-up" to victims' relatives. His chilling words, "Borders are drawn in blood, and states marked out with graves," underscored his ruthless approach.

Born in 1942, Mladić pursued a military career after a brief apprenticeship. He rose through the ranks of the Yugoslav People's Army, serving in Macedonia and Kosovo before being sent to Croatia in 1991 as it declared independence. As the conflict spread to Bosnia, his forces aligned with the self-proclaimed Republika Srpska, solidifying his role as a key military figure in the Bosnian War.

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Borders are drawn in blood, and states marked out with graves.