Book Aerial War over Serbia 1999 presented

BELGRADE - The Modern History Institute has published the second edition of the book Aerial War over Serbia 1999 by Bojan Dimitrijevic and Major General Jovica Draganic.

The latest edition, which features a great number of photographs, illustrations and witness accounts concerning NATO's bombing campaign against Serbia, was presented at Dom Vojske Srbije in Belgrade to mark the 15th anniversary of the campaign.

Defence Minister Nebojsa Rodic, Chief of the General Staff of the Serbian Armed Forces Ljubisa Dikovic, air defence officers and officials of the Serbian Orthodox Church attended the event.

Head of the institute Momcilo Pavlovic said the book was a detailed study of everything that happened above Serbia during the 78 days of the campaign and of the events that shook the entire world in late 1990s.

Draganic stated that he and Dimitrijevic stuck to the facts during the writing, that they used all the data about each aircraft and attack from both domestic and foreign sources and that some of the data was now being published for the first time.

"We have shown how the number of targets grew, how initial arrogance gave way to anger and then concern, even doubt among the attacking force when it came to the success of the aggression. Instead of the initially declared military targts, the adversary came down on civilian targets, power supply installations, hospitals, public squares and residential buildings," Draganic pointed out.

"Such a war will probably never happen again, not only in Serbia's airspace, but, considering the result, anywhere else," Dimitrijevic underscored.