Croatian Jet Crash Blamed on Defence Cuts

A Croatian military plane, a Russian-made MiG-21, has crashed on Tuesday afternoon in Donja Lomnica, near Velika Gorica in Croatia.

The plane was returning from celebrations marking Croatia’s 1995 victory over Serbian rebels in “Operation Storm” in Knin, Dalmatia, and fell just before reaching its base in the Velika Gorica area.

Pilot Stanko Hrzenjak crash-landed in a nearby field, avoiding a populated area, and ejected before landing, sustaining only minor injuries.

The crash came as no surprise to military experts, pointing to the run-down condition of the Croatian air force.

A month ago, several generals issued a public remonstrance concerning the condition of the air force, warning that it was in danger of failing to fulfil its duty of guarding Croatian air space.

Defence Minister Ante Kotromanovic on Wednesday admitted defence cuts were in some degree responsible for the crash.

“I think the responsibility of me and the [defence] ministers before me is the greatest,” Kotromanovic said, noting that the military budget had been slashed by more than 130 million euro in recent years.

Kotromanovic ordered an independent commission of eight to establish the facts about the crash.

“I am ready to resign even when a soldier’s rifle freezes. I'm going to talk with two of my chiefs (President and Prime Minister), but will wait for the results of the commission,” Kotromanovic concluded.