25 August 1998

The Role of JNA and Serbian

Forces in the War in Croatia
and the War in Bosnia and
Herzegovina
Republic of Croatia · Ministry of Defence · AF General Staff
1985 5. ZK
RZ I
PZO
9. A

5. A

1. A
1. ZK
7. A

VPO

2. K 2. A

OS SFRJ
JNA+TO=OS

JNA - Yugoslav Army 3. A

TO - Territorial defence
OS- Armed forces

Armies have the signs of their respective republics

National structure of army´s officers
Index of
disproportion
Serbs 63,2% +51
Disproportional representation
- planned national reduction of Montenegrins 6,2% +148
whole peoples
Macedonians 6,3% +8
Biggest disproportion from
1986 to 1990 - after the SANU Croats 12,6% -53
memorandum and the re-
organization of OS SFRJ, the Slovenes 2,8% -66
percentage of Serbs in the
total number of army´s officers Muslims 2,4% -78
exceeds 70%
Yugoslavs 3,6% +45

Albanians 0,6% -91

Hungarians 0,7% -70

Others 1,6% -52

Basic outline for the transformation of
JNA into a Serbian imperial force

Its structure should change in this way: more

Serbs and less representatives of other peoples.
Adapt the infrastructure to the deployment of
forces following the plan of reaching the
“western Serbian border”.
In the organizational sense, adapt the forces for
the pacification of the territory before the
Serbian political goal is made known
Check out the operative use of forces in the
occasion of “extraordinary circumstances” and
mask everything behind a general aggression of
NATO.
During the execution of the plan, keep stressing
the Yugoslav positions, wait for the attack of
the “enemy within”, and then defeat him.
Transform JNA into several Serb armies with the
accent on the defence of the endangered Serb
population
1985
revealed intentions

5th AD Virovitica

Zagreb
Karlovac

Beograd
Karlobag
1st AD
Split

VPO
3rd AD
1th AD
+ 3rd AD land:sea=5:1 Skopje

+ 1/3 5th AD LAND FORCES

+ 2/3 VPO
= Greater Serbia
operationalization 1987
1985
Zagreb
Transformation of JNA into
a Serbian imperial force Beograd
Reorganization in 1985-87: no more armies, divisions
and batallions; instead of them: military regions (AD),
corps, brigades.

Split adopted the strategy of people´s

The presidency of SFRJ
general defence and social self-defence on 20 May 1987.

Skopje

1987
1985
Transformation of JNA into a
Serbian imperial force
Zagreb
Each Republic had “its own” army; the commanders
Strategy
originated mostly from these of extraordinary
Republics
Beograd
circumstances in “preventing
the
The new division neglects conflict among
“administrative
borders” of the Republics (Kadijević).
nationalities”
The strategy of extraordinary circumstances in
Split
“preventing the conflict among nationalities”.

Officers who strongly approve the “idea of Greater

Serbia” are brought to commanding posts.

The military units are being trained in the directions

of use, following the doctrine “special combat” Skopje

1987
Reorganization of OS SFRJ in 1985-87.
Strategic plan for the aggression

Greater Serbia
dominant military strategy

occupying the territory

driving the population out

Military strategy

theoretical foundation - spatial combat, distance impact

- reorganization of JNA (military regions)

organizational foundation
in 1986
- war plan (S-2),
experimental foundation
ZSRV “Romanija - 87, 88, 89, 90”
 2/3 VPO = A + B + 2K
5th AD
Zagreb

1st AD Beograd

The largest urban centres on

the coast, with a large majority
of Croatian population. The cities
comprise:
1. the commands
K 2. military schools

A 3. logistic bases
4. military flats
B Split
5. officer´s families of Serbian

VPO nationality
6. summer houses belonging
stretch with a large
A percentage of Serbian population
to Serbs
7. political authorities
B stretch of outer islands, navy
strongholds with an organized military
K
infrastructure (the militarization of the
island belt) 3rd A
K points where the stretches A and B come together
The basic idea of the war plan S-2 and
of the commanding-staff war exercise
“Romanija”. It was exercised in 1986,
1987, 1988, 1989 and 1990.
 D+15

D+6
1
TG - 0.A
“TRST” K

A
K K
P
B D+2
UG-4
UG-1 P D
UG-3
UG-2
5. ATAF

TG -
“ANCONA”

parts of
D-1
The idea for the 101. zpokd
10. AK

manoeuvre “OG Jadran”

1991 The plan for the execution of the
strategic attack operation in the
aggression against Croatia

Karlobag - Karlovac - Virovitica Operational base for the

western border of “Greater Serbia” K deployment of forces for the
aggression against Croatia

Directions of JNA and Serbian attacks

K

Base in Slunj

Corps in Knin
Putting the strategy
in practice in two stages

1st stage
key-points JNA - attacks on the main roads (combined
Karlovac, Sisak, Pakrac, infantry-tank attacks, artillery support)
Osijek, Zadar, Dubrovnik air forces - destroying civilian objects
i Vukovar navy - blockade

2nd stage
simultaneous, occupying the territory within
the key-points
Serbian rebels, TO - on the flanks of JNA,
divergent progression; occupying the “key-points”
of lower levels, widening the battlefield
Attack tactics

1. Form the bases

2. Attack the villages with Croatian
population among those with
Serbian population
3. Superiority - at least 2:1
4. Have the support of artillery, placed
10 km in back, with a double role:
providing fire support to the attack,
shelling the villages to provoke
panic and destruction
5. Logistics: trucks and helicopters

Instructions:
the basic task of Serbian rebels is the
obliteration (destruction) of the Croatian
population in their area, using the methods of
terror (intimidation, driving away, killing,
massacre) exclusively
 c 1

d-3 c
Army base, the main stronghold
- projection of force onto the
wider area a-4, b-2
b
b
d
2 CIT 5
Y
c
a
4
a-4
The city, the key position at the “border”
of Greater Serbia
The control over the main road (3) is a
projection of force threat from the 3
army base (d-4)

b b
2
b-2 Villages with Croatian population.
Blockade of local roads, attack on the villages
and their cleansing (b-5) or the projection of
military force by means of artillery.
Efficacy of the “key-
points” strategy

The combined actions of JNA and

Serbian rebels along the main
communication lines were relatively
successful only on the battlefield of
Ravno Dubrovnik, and it failed on the
battlefields of eastern Slavonia,
western Slavonia and central Croatia
Dubrovnik
(Banovina, Kordun, Lika, Dalmacija)

Why?

During the offensive against

Dubrovnik, Ravno was destroyed.
It was the first village in Bosnia
and Herzegovina to be destroyed

Sep 28, 1991

ZSRV Romanija - plan for the aggression
against BH
JNA did not realize its
strategic goal - “defeat HV
and reach the Slovenian
border”

BH becomes part of the game

“There can be no state of BH
without Yugoslavia”
Kadijević

ALL-INCLUSIVENESS
common aggression
plan
1992 XXX
XXX
31

January-March 14

4th corps - Sarajevo XXX XXX

Major General 13 31
Vojislav Đurđevac XXX
10 Bihać
XXX
5th corps - Banja Luka 14
XXX
Major General
10 XXX
Vladimir Vuković 5
XXX
9th corps - Kupres, Grahovo
9
Glamoč, Grahovo
XXX Kupres XXX
Major General
9 Glamoč 17
Sava Kovačević

XXX
10th corps - Zap. Bosna
4
Major General
Špiro Vinković
XXX
13th corps - Hercegovina 13
Major General Bileća
Momčilo Perišić Trebinje XXX
14 XXX
17th corps - Tuzla Operational development 2
2nd Lieutenant General
Sava Janković
of JNA for the first phase XXX
13
of the war in BH
1986 SZG
War plan S-2 and the
commanding-staff war exercise
“Romanija” on the territory of
Bosnia and Herzegovina
breakthrough of NATO
forces
Zagreb Knin, Sinj, Livno,
Kupres, Bugojno
towards Sarajevo
coming from west Beograd
padbr
TG -
“ANCONA” D+17
Sarajevo breakthrough of NATO
forces
101.
zpokd through the valley of
Neretva towards Sarajevo
Niš
and merging with the
D+6 101st zpokd (airborne
offensive on Romanija)
OG Jadran
Podgorica

1st phase
D+2 Skopje
1
0.A
2nd phase K
3rd phase D
JIG
D-1
1990
1986
Deployment of JNA forces and their
answer to the actions of NATO forces
answer of JNA
starting from the half-
circle base of central
and east Bosnia, it
strikes the airborne
Zagreb offensive on Romanija
and “de-blocks”
Sarajevo

OG Sarajevo Beograd

Axis point of the JNA

OG Kupres occupation of BH
Sarajevo
Sarajevo - the
answer of JNA capital

it strikes the flank of

NATO forces in the
Split Niš
regions of Livno Valley OG Mostar
answer of JNA
and Sinj Valley, and it
continues the actions
Ravno
it stops the “blue” by
towards Split Podgoricamaking a counter-
attack: it reaches the
coast and organizes
Skopje
the defence

Axis point of the JNA

occupation of BH

1990
southwestern part -
Herzegovina
1992 Congruence between the manoeuvres of
the war plan S-2 and ZSRV “Romanija”
and the real actions of JNA in the
operation conducted to occupy BH

Zagreb

Beograd

Sarajevo

Split Niš

Ravno
Podgorica

Skopje

1986 1990
1992 1st AD
12th corps - Novi Sad
24th corps - Krajina
January-April 17th corps - Tuzla
guard division
OG Beograd
Zagreb

Beograd

2nd AD 2nd AD 1st AD

5th corps - Banja Luka
10th corps - Bihać Sarajevo
4th corps - Sarajevo
9th corps - Knin
Split 4th AD Niš

3rd AD
4th AD Podgorica
2nd corps - Podgorica
13th corps - Mostar Skopje
37th corps - Užice
OG Trebinje Bileća 3rd AD
21st corps - Niš
20th corps - Leskovac
52nd corps - Priština
1992 Strength and operational command
of the forces of JNA in BH
January-April
Command structure
Serbs 92,6%
Zagreb Montenegrins 7,0%
Others 0,4%

Beograd

2nd AD 1st AD
Sarajevo

Split 4th AD
Total strength (2nd 3rd AD
AD, 4th AD,1st AD)
83.000 men Podgorica
460-500 tanks Skopje
400-420 armoured
vehicles
950-1000 cannons
1992
System of command over the forces
of “JNA” in BH during the first phase of war

March-April SSNO/GSOS
Lt.General Blagoje Adžić

2nd AD
Commander
Lt.General Milutin Kukanjac
Head of Staff
2nd Lt.General
Dobrašin Praščević
2nd AD 1st AD 4th AD
4th corps 5th corps 9th corps 10th corps 17th corps 13th corps
Sarajevo Banja Luka Knin Bihać Tuzla Bileća
Major General Major General Major General Major General 2nd Lieutenant Major General
Vojislav Đurđevac Vladimir Vuković Sava Kovačević Špiro Ninković General Momčilo Perišić
Sava Janković
Major General Major General Colonel Major General
Momir Talić Ratko Mladić Grujo Borić Branko Stanković

After General of the Army Veljko Kadijević gave his resignation (was removed),
Lieutenant General Blagoje Adžić was formally given the function of state secretary
of the army
It can be seen that the Commander of the 2nd AD, who was also the commander of
all the forces in BH, exercised his control over the units of the 9th, 10th and 13th
corps (March-April 1992)
 Zagreb

Beograd
“Western Serbian border”
after the first phase of 2nd AD 1st AD
the war in Croatia
Sarajevo

Split 4th AD
Demarcation line of the
2nd AD and the 4th AD and
3rd AD
their “natural exit to the
sea”
Podgorica
Skopje
1992 The first phase of the war in BH

April

Zagreb

2nd AD 1st AD
Sarajevo

Split 4th AD
3rd AD
Ravno

Podgorica
1992
System of command and control

from May on

GŠ (General Staff)
of JNA

“coordinates the
production of defence
plans”

“protection of the outer

borders and their
integration into the
system of Yugoslavia”

VJ “vRS” “SVK”
1992 The command about the forming of the “VRS” (Army of Serbian Republic)
was signed by Lt.Gen. Blagoje Adžić on 10 May 1992, when Lt.Gen.
Milutin Kukanjac was being held in JNA building in Sarajevo. It states::
from May on

The General Staff of VRS is formed, consisting of the

following members:
- commander
2nd Lieutenant General Ratko Mladić,
- head of staff
Major General Manojlo Milovanović,
- aid for morale and informing
Major General Milan Gvero,
- aid for the reserve
Major General Đorđe Đukić,
- head of security
Colonel Zdravko Tolimir
and
- head of mobilization office
Colonel Mićo Grubor.

Lieutenant General
Blagoje Adžić
1992
System of command of the “army of
RS” after the “withdrawal” of JNA

from May on

“General Staff of vRS”

Commander
2nd Lt. Ratko Mladić
Head of Staff
Major General Manojlo Milovanović

1st “krajiški” 2nd “krajiški” the “istočno- the “sarajevsko- the “drinski” the
corps corps bosanski” corps romanijski” corps “hercegovački”
corps corps
Major General Major General Major General
Major General
Momir Talić Novica Šimić Major General Milenko Živanović Major General
Grujo Borić Stanislav Galić Radovan Grubač
Major General Major General Colonel
Boško Kelečević Colonel Milorad Gavrić Colonel Miladin Prstojević Colonel
Miloš Babić Dragan Marčetić Vlado Spremo

5th corps of JA 10th corps of JA 17th corps of JA 4th corps of JA 13th corps of JA

The withdrawal of JA from BH was only formal. The system of command,

appointments, promotions, pays and the planning of forces, remained exclusively
under the authority of the General Staff of the Army of Yugoslavia.
Disposition and composition The “ISTOČNO
of the “army of Republika The 1st “KRAJIŠKI”
CORPS
-BOSANSKI” CORPS
4 mtbr, 9 lbr, map,

Srpska” 2 okbr, 3 mtbr, 7 lpbr,

19 lbr, map, mpoabr, B. Šamac
mpoabr, lap PTO,
inž.puk
lap PZO, inž. puk - soldiers 23000
- soldiers 55000 - tanks 120
Sanski most - tanks 180 - armoured
- armoured vehicels 90
vehicles 150 Doboj - artillery 210
Ključ - artillery 360
Šipovo
The 2nd “KRAJIŠKI”
Maglaj
CORPS
3 mtbr, 5 lbr, map,
mpoabr, lap PZO, inž. Vakuf Zavidovići
puk
- soldiers 14000 Srebrenica
- tanks 60
- armoured Olovo
Sarajevo
vehicels 30
- artillery 198
Konjic The “DRINSKI”
GoraždeCORPS
The “SARAJEVSKO- 1 mtbr, 6 lbr, map,
ROMANIJSKI” Kalinovik - soldiers 9000
Foča
CORPS - tanks 30
4 mtbr, 1 lbr, map, - armoured
mpoabr, lap PZO Mostar vehicels 76
- soldiers 12000 - artillery 30
- tanks 60
- armoured Čapljina
okbr - armoured brigade The “HERCEGOVAČKI”
vehicles 30 CORPS
mtbr - motorized brig. - artillery 200 3 mtbr, 5 partbr, 5 lbr,
mpoabr - mixed anti-armour brig. map, mpoabr, lap PZO,
lbr, lpbr - logistical brig. inž.puk
map - motorized regiment - soldiers 22000
lap PZO - air defence - tanks 100
- armoured
inž.puk - engineering regiment vehicels 100
- artillery 260
1992 The second phase of the
war in BH B. Šamac

1993 Sanski most

Ključ
Doboj

Šipovo
Maglaj

Vakuf Zavidovići

Srebrenica

Olovo
Sarajevo

Konjic
Goražde

Kalinovik
Foča

Total strength Mostar

135.000 men
Čapljina
550 tanks
430 armoured
vehicles
>1300 cannons
The end
.