Secret Documents: General Bobetko Ordered 'Operation Storm' Offensive for June 29, 1995

Newly revealed secret documents indicate that the Croatian "Operation Storm" offensive, which ultimately led to the fall of the self-proclaimed Republic of Serbian Krajina (RSK), was ordered to commence on June 29, 1995. This directive came from General Bobetko, predating the widely recognized start of the operation in early August.

The documents suggest that the fate of the RSK was sealed long before the Croatian army entered Knin and other occupied towns in early August. Months of arduous and secret preparations took place behind the scenes at the Presidential Palace in Zagreb. These preparations involved dramatic meetings between American diplomats in London and secret messages sent to the commander of the Serb Army of Krajina (SVK), General Mile Mrkšić, from Belgrade.

While the world witnessed the swift conclusion of the military operation when the Croatian flag was raised on the Knin fortress on August 5, 1995, the preceding months of planning were largely invisible to the international public. The main staff of the Croatian Army had been developing initial operational plans for an offensive, not yet named "Storm," as early as late 1994. The political and military leadership of the rebellious Serbs in Knin, meanwhile, continued to believe that international intervention or Serbian military support would prevent the Croatian attack.