1999 NATO bombing of Novi Sad
Encyclopedia
During the 1999 NATO bombing of Yugoslavia, the second largest Yugoslav city of Novi Sad
was one of the cities that bore the brunt of the bombing. According to NATO press releases, the bombing targeted oil refineries, roads, bridges, and telecommunications relay stations, facilities which had military uses. The bombing of the city caused great damage to local civilian
s, including severe pollution and widespread ecological damage, consequences for the physical health of the people which will remain for years as well as permanent consequences for psychological health caused by almost 3 months of trauma and fear.
Due to the NATO attacks, many in Novi Sad were left jobless, comprising a percent of an estimated 500,000 people unemployed throughout Yugoslavia. http://www.greenparty.org.uk/files/reports/2004/Yugowar%20for%20website.htm Citizens experienced daily hardships such as loss of electricity, food shortages, and trauma.
Notably, NATO failed to give "effective advance warning" of attacks which may affect civilians, as required by Protocol I. http://mondediplo.com/2000/07/02kosovo One such attack was the bombing of the Ministry of Education in Novi Sad, premises which administered social welfare programmes. http://www.greenparty.org.uk/files/reports/2004/Yugowar%20for%20website.htm
Water supplies (including drinking water) for parts of the city were cut off as a result of the bombing. One attack cut off water supplies to 40,000 people in Petrovaradin, and severely disrupted water supplies to 300,000 people in Novi Sad. http://www.greenparty.org.uk/files/reports/2004/Yugowar%20for%20website.htm Services were restored only after two years, partially due to funding from Britain, one of the countries which sent planes to bomb the city in 1999. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/1318455.stm
s into the air and contaminating groundwater. The BTF study was complicated by the heavy pollution that existed before the bombing, with the group noting that "the enforced shutdown of the refinery may even have led to local improvements in the aquatic environment, due to a possible reduction in chronic pollution".
Once all the samples for Novi Sad (Danube Mission) were collated, "based on field observation and results from sample analysis, the BTF concluded that there was no evidence of significant adverse impacts on the Danube aquatic environment as a result of air strikes on Novi Sad refinery. It is thought that most of the oils and oil products released were burned and that no significant volume entered the river".
The BTF study also found that prior to the air strikes, local technicians helped minimise the potential harmful effects of air strikes by "removing oil products that could be harmful to human health if spilt or burnt, such as transformer oil containing PCBs. Production was also accelerated to use up as much as possible of the crude oil, intermediate products and additives, and the final products were shipped to other locations. The remaining oil was mixed with gasoline, so that the tanks would ignite if hit, rather than leak into the soil and groundwater".
Local scientists also studied the impact of the bombing. “NATO didn’t use chemical weapons during the bombing”, said Dr. Zorka Vukmirović, a leading environmental physicist, “But indirectly it caused the effects of chemical weapons use. If you release so many hazardous substances, major air pollutants and carcinogens in the vicinity of big cities like Belgrade and Niš, it is obviously a deliberate action against the civilian population”. http://www.commondreams.org/views01/0131-05.htm
Not until 2003, the Danube river was declared clear again. It took four years of work by the Danube Commission
to remove the debris of bombed bridges and ordnances. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/3020734.stm The clearing of the debris was not only important for Novi Sad, but for European states (Hungary & Romania) who were economically impacted by the blockade of river traffic to the Black sea caused by the bombing.
).
Novi Sad residents point out that the irony that Novi Sad was so heavily targeted by NATO also lies in the fact that during the time of the bombing, the city was ruled by the local Democratic Opposition, which was against the regime in Belgrade
. Therefore, the citizens of Novi Sad were not able to understand why they had to pay so large price for the events in Kosovo
, which were not caused by them.
A press release one year on from the bombing by then NATO Secretary General Robertson
, claims that NATO encountered complications from Yugoslav military use of civilian buildings and human shields. Nato officials have "expressed deep regret at any civilian casualties it caused", http://www.nato.int/kosovo/repo2000/conduct.htm. The sincerity of that regret is questioned by some Novi Sad residents. NATO claims that the bombing of targets such as bridges was aimed at impairing the Yugoslav army's command and control structure. However, the efficacy of the campaign and choice of targets was brought into question by human rights groups, after bridges of no conceivable strategic relevance to the military situation in Kosovo were bombed, including a bridge which led to Hungary, a NATO country. It was argued by MAICL that despite the NATO claims that their attacks were justified because military objects were present, "the civilian deaths caused are clearly disproportionate to the military benefits". http://www.greenparty.org.uk/files/reports/2004/Yugowar%20for%20website.htm
Novi Sad
Novi Sad is the capital of the northern Serbian province of Vojvodina, and the administrative centre of the South Bačka District. The city is located in the southern part of Pannonian Plain on the Danube river....
was one of the cities that bore the brunt of the bombing. According to NATO press releases, the bombing targeted oil refineries, roads, bridges, and telecommunications relay stations, facilities which had military uses. The bombing of the city caused great damage to local civilian
Civilian
A civilian under international humanitarian law is a person who is not a member of his or her country's armed forces or other militia. Civilians are distinct from combatants. They are afforded a degree of legal protection from the effects of war and military occupation...
s, including severe pollution and widespread ecological damage, consequences for the physical health of the people which will remain for years as well as permanent consequences for psychological health caused by almost 3 months of trauma and fear.
Chronology of the bombing
- March 24: NATO bombed a storehouse of the police center in the industrial zone, as well as the "Motins" factory.
- April 1: The old Varadin Bridge on the DanubeDanubeThe Danube is a river in the Central Europe and the Europe's second longest river after the Volga. It is classified as an international waterway....
was destroyed by NATO bombs.
- April 3: Liberty Bridge on the Danube was destroyed by NATO bombs. Seven civilians were injured. After the bridge was destroyed, the institute for cardio-vascular diseases in Sremska KamenicaSremska KamenicaSremska Kamenica is a town and urban neighborhood of Novi Sad, in Serbia.-Name:In Serbian, the town is known as Sremska Kamenica , in Croatian as Srijemska Kamenica, in Hungarian as Kamanc, and in German as Kamenitz.-Geography:The town is located in the Syrmia region, on the northern slopes of the...
lost its water supply.
- April 5: NATO bombed the oil refinery in the industrial zone, as well as Žeželj Bridge on the Danube, which was damaged.
- April 7: NATO bombed the oil refinery as well as the residential civilian quarter Vidovdansko NaseljeVidovdansko NaseljeVidovdansko Naselje is a neighborhood of the city of Novi Sad in Serbia.-Name:Name of the neighborhood derived from Saint Vitus - Serbian word "vidovdan" means "the day of Saint Vitus", thus the English translation of the settlement's name would be "the Saint Vitus day's settlement"...
where four civilians were injured and several houses damaged.
- April 11: NATO bombed the military object "Majevica" in JugovićevoJugovicevoJugovićevo is a quarter of the city of Novi Sad in Serbia.-Borders:The southern border of Jugovićevo is Bulevar Vojvode Stepe , the eastern border is a future new section of the Subotički bulevar , which will be built in 2007, the north-eastern border is Rumenački put , the north-western border is...
.
- April 13: NATO bombed the oil refinery.
- April 15: NATO bombed the oil refinery and the military object "Majevica" in Jugovićevo.
- April 18: NATO bombed the oil refinery which triggered a large fire and much smoke, which caused serious ecological damage. The building of the Government of the Autonomous Province of VojvodinaVojvodinaVojvodina, officially called Autonomous Province of Vojvodina is an autonomous province of Serbia. Its capital and largest city is Novi Sad...
in the city centreStari Grad, Novi SadStari Grad is a neighborhood of the city of Novi Sad in the Serbian province of Vojvodina. It is the main part of Novi Sad, and it is also known as City Centre...
was also hit by NATO bombs.
- April 21: NATO bombed the oil refinery and Žeželj Bridge, as well as a bridge near BeškaBeškaBeška is a village in Serbia. It is situated in the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina, in the region of Srem , in Inđija municipality...
.
- April 22: NATO bombed Žeželj Bridge on the Danube.
- April 23: NATO bombed a TV transmitter in wider area of Novi Sad.
- April 24: NATO bombed the oil refinery causing fire and smoke. Fruška GoraFruška GoraFruška Gora is a mountain in north Syrmia. Most part of the territory is located within Vojvodina, Serbia, but a smaller part on its western side overlaps the territory of Croatia...
was also bombed.
- April 26: NATO finally managed to destroy Žeželj Bridge, the last bridge on the Danube that the city had.
- April 27: NATO bombed the oil refinery and Fruška Gora.
- April 29: NATO bombed the oil refinery and Fruška Gora.
- May 1: NATO bombed the oil refinery causing large amounts of smoke that covered the city for several days. Fruška Gora was also bombed.
- May 2: NATO bombed the northern suburbs of Novi Sad causing the city to lose its water supply and electricity.
- May 3: NATO bombed the buildings of Novi Sad Television in MišelukMišelukMišeluk is a neighborhood of the city of Novi Sad in Serbia.-Geography:Mišeluk is located in Syrmian part of Novi Sad, between Petrovaradin and Sremska Kamenica. Administratively, Mišeluk is regarded as part of Petrovaradin...
as well as the northern suburbs of the city.
- May 6: NATO bombed the military object "Majevica" in Jugovićevo as well as the civilian residential quarter DetelinaraDetelinaraDetelinara is a neighbourhood of the city of Novi Sad in the Serbian province of Vojvodina.-Borders:The south-eastern borders of Detelinara are Ulica Branka Bajića and Ulica Braće Popović , the north-eastern border is Rumenačka ulica , the northern border is Ulica Oblačića Rada , and...
damaging residential buildings and the elementary school "Svetozar Marković Toza".
- May 7: NATO bombed Iriški Venac and Brankovac on Fruška Gora.
- May 8: NATO bombed the military object "Majevica" in Jugovićevo and Fruška Gora.
- May 13: NATO bombed the buildings of Novi Sad Television in Mišeluk. Its buildings were heavily damaged as well as neighbouring civilian residential houses. Fruška Gora was also bombed, as well as electric installations in Rimski ŠančeviRimski ŠanceviRimski Šančevi is a neighborhood of the city of Novi Sad in Serbia . It is mostly an industrial zone, but it is partially a residential area as well.-Name:...
causing the city to lose electricity again.
- May 15: NATO bombed Brankovac on Fruška Gora.
- May 18: NATO bombed Fruška Gora.
- May 20: NATO bombed Fruška Gora.
- May 22: NATO bombed Fruška Gora including a TV tower on Iriški Venac.
- May 23: NATO bombed Fruška Gora and electric installations in Rimski Šančevi.
- May 24: NATO bombed the oil refinery causing smoke that again covered part of the city. Fruška Gora was also bombed.
- May 26: NATO bombed buildings of the Novi Sad Television in Mišeluk, as well as Dunavski Kej (Danube Quay) near the city centre. ParagovoParagovoParagovo is a hamlet in the urban area of Novi Sad and one of the neighborhoods of Sremska Kamenica, in Serbia.It is located between three hills, Popovica on the west and Glavica and Čardak on the east; at the entrance of Sremska Kamenica, from Ruma and Fruška Gora...
, Iriški Venac on Fruška Gora and small barrack in BukovacBukovacBukovac is a village in Serbia. It is situated in the Petrovaradin urban municipality , in the Vojvodina province. The village has a Serb ethnic majority and its population is 3,595 .-The name:The name Bukovac is thought to be derived from the word for a tree - 'bukva'...
were also bombed.
- May 29: NATO bombed buildings of the Novi Sad Television as well as the civilian residential quarter RibnjakRibnjakRibnjak is a small neighborhood of Novi Sad, situated in the Serbian province of Vojvodina.-Name:Its name is derived from the Serbian word "riba"...
where two civilians were badly injured.
- May 30: NATO bombed the civilian residential area in Sremska KamenicaSremska KamenicaSremska Kamenica is a town and urban neighborhood of Novi Sad, in Serbia.-Name:In Serbian, the town is known as Sremska Kamenica , in Croatian as Srijemska Kamenica, in Hungarian as Kamanc, and in German as Kamenitz.-Geography:The town is located in the Syrmia region, on the northern slopes of the...
near an ambulance where one child was badly injured and two civilian houses were destroyed. The civilian residential area Ribnjak was also bombed as well as buildings of the Novi Sad Television, a tunnel near the previously destroyed Liberty Bridge, a road near the entrance to Sremska Kamenica, part of Fruška Gora between Paragovo and KrušedolKrušedolKrušedol may refer to:*Krušedol monastery, a monastery in Srem, Serbia*Krušedol Selo, a village in Srem, Serbia*Krušedol Prnjavor, a village in Srem, Serbia...
, and the northern vicinity of Novi Sad.
- May 31: NATO bombed electric installations in Rimski Šančevi causing the city to lose its water supply and electricity. Fruška Gora was also bombed.
- June 1: NATO bombed suburban settlements ČenejCenejČenej is a village located in the Novi Sad municipality, in the South Bačka District of Serbia. It is situated in the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina...
and Pejićevi SalašiPejicevi SalašiPejićevi Salaši is a small suburban settlement near Novi Sad, Serbia. It is located between Novi Sad, Čenej, and Kać. Officially, Pejićevi Salaši is not regarded as a separate settlement, but as part of village of Čenej. However, Pejićevi Salaši, together with neighbouring Nemanovci, have their...
, as well as Fruška Gora.
- June 2: NATO bombed Fruška Gora.
- June 4: NATO bombed Brankovac and ČotCOT-Beds:* A camp bed, a simple, temporary and portable bed* A baby's infant bed* See cot side for beds with raised sides-Transportation:* Car of Tomorrow, a new car design by NASCAR* Cottingley railway station, National Rail station code COT...
on Fruška Gora.
- June 8 and June 9: NATO bombed the oil refinery, one civilian was killed, while two civilians and one child were badly injured. The civilian residential quarter ŠangajŠangajŠangaj is a neighborhood and local community of Novi Sad, in Serbian province of Vojvodina. Šangaj is located in northeastern part of the city and it covering the area of 0.13 km².-Name and history:...
was also bombed where one civilian, Milan Bajić (42 years old), was killed and several more civilians were injured, while several civilian houses were destroyed. Although, this was the bloodiest day of the bombing, it was also the last.
Impact on civilians
The civilians of Novi Sad were greatly affected by the bombing of their city. Residential areas were cluster bombed several times while the city's oil refinery was bombarded daily, causing severe pollution and widespread ecological damage.Direct impact
The bombing caused civilian deaths and injuries. Those who were not directly physically harmed suffer from consequences for their physical health caused by ecological damage as well as permanent consequences for psychological health caused by almost 3 months of trauma and fear.Due to the NATO attacks, many in Novi Sad were left jobless, comprising a percent of an estimated 500,000 people unemployed throughout Yugoslavia. http://www.greenparty.org.uk/files/reports/2004/Yugowar%20for%20website.htm Citizens experienced daily hardships such as loss of electricity, food shortages, and trauma.
Notably, NATO failed to give "effective advance warning" of attacks which may affect civilians, as required by Protocol I. http://mondediplo.com/2000/07/02kosovo One such attack was the bombing of the Ministry of Education in Novi Sad, premises which administered social welfare programmes. http://www.greenparty.org.uk/files/reports/2004/Yugowar%20for%20website.htm
Impact on infrastructure
The NATO bombing left the city without all of its three Danube bridges, communications, water, and electricity, which severely impaired the day to day living of the residents of Novi Sad. All bridges were not rebuilt before 2005 and one of the rebuilt bridges is only a temporary solution. Some residential areas were damaged by cluster bombs.Water supplies (including drinking water) for parts of the city were cut off as a result of the bombing. One attack cut off water supplies to 40,000 people in Petrovaradin, and severely disrupted water supplies to 300,000 people in Novi Sad. http://www.greenparty.org.uk/files/reports/2004/Yugowar%20for%20website.htm Services were restored only after two years, partially due to funding from Britain, one of the countries which sent planes to bomb the city in 1999. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/1318455.stm
Impact on environment
The bombing of Novi Sad had implications for the environment. A United Nations study (the BTF ‘Industrial Sites’ and ‘Danube’ missions) found that there were serious environmental issues, "requiring immediate action", some of which resulted from the bombing. http://www.grid.unep.ch/btf/final/finalreport.pdf The bombing of Novi Sad's refinery caused fires which burned 50,000 tons of crude oil, sending toxins and carcinogenCarcinogen
A carcinogen is any substance, radionuclide, or radiation that is an agent directly involved in causing cancer. This may be due to the ability to damage the genome or to the disruption of cellular metabolic processes...
s into the air and contaminating groundwater. The BTF study was complicated by the heavy pollution that existed before the bombing, with the group noting that "the enforced shutdown of the refinery may even have led to local improvements in the aquatic environment, due to a possible reduction in chronic pollution".
Once all the samples for Novi Sad (Danube Mission) were collated, "based on field observation and results from sample analysis, the BTF concluded that there was no evidence of significant adverse impacts on the Danube aquatic environment as a result of air strikes on Novi Sad refinery. It is thought that most of the oils and oil products released were burned and that no significant volume entered the river".
The BTF study also found that prior to the air strikes, local technicians helped minimise the potential harmful effects of air strikes by "removing oil products that could be harmful to human health if spilt or burnt, such as transformer oil containing PCBs. Production was also accelerated to use up as much as possible of the crude oil, intermediate products and additives, and the final products were shipped to other locations. The remaining oil was mixed with gasoline, so that the tanks would ignite if hit, rather than leak into the soil and groundwater".
Local scientists also studied the impact of the bombing. “NATO didn’t use chemical weapons during the bombing”, said Dr. Zorka Vukmirović, a leading environmental physicist, “But indirectly it caused the effects of chemical weapons use. If you release so many hazardous substances, major air pollutants and carcinogens in the vicinity of big cities like Belgrade and Niš, it is obviously a deliberate action against the civilian population”. http://www.commondreams.org/views01/0131-05.htm
Not until 2003, the Danube river was declared clear again. It took four years of work by the Danube Commission
Danube Commission
The Danube Commission is concerned with the maintenance and improvement of navigation conditions of the Danube River, from its source in Germany to its outlets in Romania and Ukraine, leading to the Black Sea. It was established in 1948 by seven countries bordering the river, replacing previous...
to remove the debris of bombed bridges and ordnances. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/3020734.stm The clearing of the debris was not only important for Novi Sad, but for European states (Hungary & Romania) who were economically impacted by the blockade of river traffic to the Black sea caused by the bombing.
The views of the respective parties
The bombing is viewed by many as having deliberately targeted civilians and as being a war crime (See: Legitimacy of NATO bombing of YugoslaviaLegitimacy of NATO bombing of Yugoslavia
The legitimacy of the NATO bombing of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia has been subject to question by many bodies and individuals from the time of the action continuing to this day. The key basis governing the legality of any act of war is international law...
).
Novi Sad residents point out that the irony that Novi Sad was so heavily targeted by NATO also lies in the fact that during the time of the bombing, the city was ruled by the local Democratic Opposition, which was against the regime in Belgrade
Belgrade
Belgrade is the capital and largest city of Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers, where the Pannonian Plain meets the Balkans. According to official results of Census 2011, the city has a population of 1,639,121. It is one of the 15 largest cities in Europe...
. Therefore, the citizens of Novi Sad were not able to understand why they had to pay so large price for the events in Kosovo
Kosovo
Kosovo is a region in southeastern Europe. Part of the Ottoman Empire for more than five centuries, later the Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija within Serbia...
, which were not caused by them.
A press release one year on from the bombing by then NATO Secretary General Robertson
George Robertson, Baron Robertson of Port Ellen
George Islay MacNeill Robertson, Baron Robertson of Port Ellen, is a British Labour Party politician who was the tenth Secretary General of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation, between October 1999 and early January 2004; he succeeded Javier Solana in that position...
, claims that NATO encountered complications from Yugoslav military use of civilian buildings and human shields. Nato officials have "expressed deep regret at any civilian casualties it caused", http://www.nato.int/kosovo/repo2000/conduct.htm. The sincerity of that regret is questioned by some Novi Sad residents. NATO claims that the bombing of targets such as bridges was aimed at impairing the Yugoslav army's command and control structure. However, the efficacy of the campaign and choice of targets was brought into question by human rights groups, after bridges of no conceivable strategic relevance to the military situation in Kosovo were bombed, including a bridge which led to Hungary, a NATO country. It was argued by MAICL that despite the NATO claims that their attacks were justified because military objects were present, "the civilian deaths caused are clearly disproportionate to the military benefits". http://www.greenparty.org.uk/files/reports/2004/Yugowar%20for%20website.htm
See also
- 1999 NATO bombing of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia
- Legitimacy of NATO bombing of YugoslaviaLegitimacy of NATO bombing of YugoslaviaThe legitimacy of the NATO bombing of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia has been subject to question by many bodies and individuals from the time of the action continuing to this day. The key basis governing the legality of any act of war is international law...
- Kosovo WarKosovo WarThe term Kosovo War or Kosovo conflict was two sequential, and at times parallel, armed conflicts in Kosovo province, then part of FR Yugoslav Republic of Serbia; from early 1998 to 1999, there was an armed conflict initiated by the ethnic Albanian "Kosovo Liberation Army" , who sought independence...
- Strategic Bombardment in the Kosovo War