Federal Republic of Yugoslavia

Government of the Republic of Croatia

Republic of Slovenia

Government of the Republic of Macedonia

The following are two reports from Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (a designated source of information under Article 18.1 of the Stature of the Tribunal):

NATO CRIMES AGAINST CIVILIANS AND CIVILIAN INFRASTRUCTURE IN THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF YUGOSLAVIA

The NATO criminal aggression represents the most flagrant violation of the Charter of the United Nations since the inception of the world Organization, a violation of the Helsinki Final Act and the undermining of the very foundations of the international legal order. At the same time, this aggression is a crime against peace, stability and humanity.

The Federal Republic of Yugoslavia has warned on time the United Nations Security Council of a possible aggression, and during the aggression itself it requested that it be immediately halted and most strongly condemned. Had this legitimate request of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia been met, enormous human sufferings and destruction would have been avoided. The most illustrative examples are given below.

KILLING AND PLIGHT OF THE CIVILIANS

During the last thirty-six days of NATO aggression, the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia has been exposed to extensive civilian destruction, unprecedented in modern history of the world. NATO aggressors have focused their attacks primarily on civilian targets, directly threatening the lives and fundamental human rights of the entire population of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. By bombing relentlessly the cities, towns and villages throughout Yugoslavia, the NATO aggressor has killed so far, in nine hundred attacks, more than a thousand civilians, including a great number of children. Over five thousand people sustained injuries, many of whom will remain crippled for life. At the same time, several thousand private homes and flats have been ruined, mostly in Belgrade, Nis, Cuprija, Aleksinac, Pristina, etc. We shall present the most tragic instances of the killings and plight of the innocent civilian population. Fifty-five passengers were killed and twenty-six injured in an international passenger train on the Belgrade-Thessaloniki line. More than four hundred civilians were killed by NATO bombs in Kosmet: in the centre of Pristina, in Djakovica, Prizren, Kosovo Polje, Urosevac, Kosovska Mitrovica, in refugee camps in Orahovac and Srbica, Vitina, etc.

Thirteen civilians were killed and twenty-five wounded in an attack on Kursumlija.

Twelve civilians were killed and forty wounded in the bombing of Aleksinac. Sixteen RTS workers were killed and seventeen wounded in the bombing of the headquarters of this biggest Radio and Television outlets in the FRY. Unfortunately, the final number of victims has not been established yet since more victims have remained buried in the rubble.

In Pancevo, Cacak, Vranje and Nis the number of casualties has been increasing each day.

KILLING OF CHILDREN

Children are the most vulnerable category of the population, innocent and defenceless which suffer in particular due to the barbaric bombing of NATO aircraft, which is illustrated by the following examples:

The killing of seven children in Srbica from cluster bombs; The killing of five children from the Kodza family in the village of Doganovici near Urosevac on 24 April 1999 as a result of the delayed effect of bombs (Edon, aged 3, Fisnik, aged 9, Osman, aged 13, Burim, aged 14 and Vajdet, aged 15. Six other children were also injured in the same incident, two of them were seriously wounded.

The killing of a three-year old Milica Rakic in the Belgrade suburb of Batajnica;

The killing of six children in the refugee centre in Djakovica and 19 children in the refugee column on the Prizren-Djakovica road;

The death of a child in Kosovo Polje; The killing of five years old girl Arta Lugic while her brothers Neron and Egzon and her sister Arijeta were seriously wounded in Lipljane;

The killing of nine children in Kursumlija; The killing of two children in Aleksinac, as well as other numerous examples.

Children are most often victims of the sprinkle cluster bombs with delayed effect. The death toll on children would have been even more tragic, had the missile struck the biggest Maternity Hospital in Belgrade (It exploded some thirty metres away from the Hospital).

KILLING AND PLIGHT OF REFUGEES

Particularly tragic is the fate of refugees, who convinced that they should not believe the propaganda ploys on the alleged "ethnic cleansing" decided to return to their homes. Legitimate authorities of the FRY encourage them every day to do so and guarantee their safety. On the occasion of a return of a large group of refugees, on 14 April, on the Djakovica-Prizren road, NATO aircraft killed 75 citizens of the FRY and wounded 111. The attack of NATO aircraft was systematically prepared and lasted for three hours. In this way, NATO has in the most brutal way "demonstrated" that the story of "humanitarian catastrophe" suits it only if it fits in the legitimate aggression on the FRY, as well as that innocent civilians are constantly taken advantage of for NATO interests in the Balkans.

In addition, NATO bombed several refugee camps in which Serbs expelled from Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina were accommodated (Djakovica, Pristina, Kursumlija, etc). Several dozens of refugees were killed, mostly children and the frail, ruthlessly ending their tragedy which came about in the wake of the break-up of Yugoslavia.

BOMBING OF SURDULICA

The aggressors war planes bombed at noon, on 27 April 1999, the residential area of the town of Surdulica. On that occasion 16 citizens were killed (including 12 children), while several dozen were wounded out of which twenty persons remained in hospital for further medical treatment. Hundreds of houses were raised to the ground or damaged. Special teams are still clearing up the debris so that it is not possible at the moment to estimate the real proportions of this notorious crime.

ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT ON PRESIDENT OF THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF YUGOSLAVIA SLOBODAN MILOSEVIC

An assassination attempt on the President of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia on 22 April 1999 represents an organised terrorist act without precedent in the history of modern Europe. This is not only a crime against a Head of a sovereign State, but primarily an attack on the democratically expressed will of a people and thus against the foundations of the democratic values of the civilisation. Although the residence of the President of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia was targeted, this attack has also a symbolic meaning as if the targets had been the homes of all Yugoslav citizens. This crime has caused abhorrence and condemnation by international public. However, it is incomprehensible that the United Nations Security Council has remained silent and failed to condemn this terrorist act or the killings of civilians and children.

CRIME AGAINST THE FREEDOM OF SPEECH

The destruction of more than ten private radio and television stations, two dozen TV transmitters, as well as the bombing of the Radio and Television of Serbia building on 23 April 1999 represents the biggest aggression against freedom of thought and a disgrace to the civilization at the threshold of a third millennium. Transmitters at Iriski venac, Krnjaca, Mt Cer, Bukulja, Tornik, Crni vrh, Jasetrebac, Ovcar, Grmija and others were destroyed, so that the transmitter infrastructure at the entire territory of Serbia was severely damaged. Two times in six days the studios and transmitter located at the business centre "Usce" which housed TV stations: BK TV, Pink, Kosava and SOS Channel, as well as several other radio stations were bombed.

Transmitter of the TV station Palma was bombed and destroyed on 28 April 1999.

The satellite station "Yugoslavia" in the village of Prilike near Ivanjica was severely damaged.

BOMBING OF THE BUILDING OF THE RADIO AND TELEVISION OF SERBIA

The building was demolished taking a heavy toll during the bombing of the largest Radio and TV company in the Balkans with 7000 employees and the state-of-the-art infrastructure which was made available to hundreds of foreign correspondence. The aim of this crime, in which 16 RTS workers were killed and 19 wounded, was more than obvious: to suppress the right to a different opinion and its being publicly expressed with a view to pursuing further war-mongering manipulation with the world public. Clearly, the intention of NATO aggressors is to prevent the world public from learning the extensive scope of their crimes and to impose on the world their totalitarian and single-minded perception. Many newspapers in the world and renowned journalists have already raised their voice against the propaganda fabrications of the NATO aggressors.

For all champions of the freedom of speech and for all people committed to the right to freedom of expression, this destructive act represents the last warning alarm before NATO generals take control over the aggressors' media.

DESTRUCTION OF VITAL YUGOSLAV ECONOMIC FACILITIES

According to the assessment of experts from Western countries, the damage done to date by NATO air strikes is well in excess of one hundred billion US dollars. By the destruction of factories, business capacities and production facilities, more than half a million people have lost their jobs and over two million of them remained without any kind of income. Destroyed are the industrial complexes in Belgrade, Novi Sad, Kragujevac, Nis, Pancevo, Cacak, Kraljevo, Valjevo, Pristina, Vranje, Kursumlija, Krusevac, Kula, Gnjilane, Sremska Mitrovica and in other towns and cities. The petrochemical industry of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia has been totally destroyed, as well as the largest Yugoslav factory of artificial fertilisers.

Private entrepreneurs are a particular target of NATO aggression and the most glaring example of it is the destruction of the "Usce" business centre in Novi Beograd which was hit on 21 and 27 April 1999. That was one of the biggest business centres in the Balkans, which housed more than a hundred newly established private firms in full business expansion, foreign representative offices, seven private Radio and TV stations and one of the most modern poli-clinics in the FRY. The building of this business centre is also one of the landmarks of modern Belgrade.

DESTRUCTION OF BRIDGES

On the false pretext of "neutralizing the military power of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia", the NATO aggressor started systematic destruction of the major Yugoslav road and rail traffic routes. About 20 bridges have been totally demolished so far and a few dozen of them have been damaged. Also, several dozen major and local roads, airports, railway tracks, railway stations, etc. have been destroyed. All ruined facilities were part of costly capital investments, into which the resources and the efforts of several generations of Yugoslav citizens were pooled. All the facilities are strategic part of the European traffic infrastructure, and some of them are of historical and cultural importance ("The Wailing Bridge " in Novi Sad, on which the Fascists killed several thousand Jews in the Second World War).

About 30 bridges have been destroyed including those at the strategic European E-75 corridor. By the destruction of the bridges on the Danube river the aggressors have blocked the entire river navigation at this traffic artery of the greatest importance for European economy and the shortest link between the Northern and Mediterranean sea (The Rhein-Mein-Danube route). Thus, the European shipping companies suffer each day the damage of over 20 million DM.

Examples: Sloboda Bridge, Wailing Bridge, Zezelj Bridge and the bridge in Beska (all in the city of Novi Sad), several bridges on the Ibar primary road and on the major railway lines.

ENVIRONMENTAL DISASTER

Concurrently with the humanitarian, NATO strikes have caused an environmental catastrophe which is endangering not only the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, but also the neighbouring countries and the entire European continent. Ecology does not recognize boundaries. The NATO aggressor is thus teetering on the brink of another Chernobyl in the heart of Europe. The destruction of petrochemical installations, the warehouses storing semi-processed and finished products of the chemical industry have already caused significant adverse effects on the health of the population of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and the neighbouring countries. During some of the air strikes it was pure luck that an environmental catastrophe was not provoked spreading all over Europe. The aggressor's attacks did not spare even huge forests, tourist centres and the national parks on the mountains of Serbia (Kopaonik, Zlatibor, Divcibare, Tara, Prokletije, Sara, Fruska Gora). The ozone layer was depleted by the exhaust gases. The Black Sea, Aegean and the Adriatic basins, practically the entire Mediterranean, are threatened by environmental pollution.

Examples: Nitrogen factory in Pancevo, the oil refineries in Pancevo and Novi Sad, the chemical company "Prva iskra" in Baric and others.

HOSPITALS AND HEALTH INSTITUTIONS

The aggressors' bombings, calculated to provoke the greatest possible confusion and panic among innocent people, have damaged many clinical and hospital centres, inflicting not only great material damage to property (destruction of buildings and expensive medical equipment), but also causing new health problems and intensifying psychological traumas among the sick people. The destruction of all the three bridges in Novi Sad totally cut off and left, without the supply of water, the largest Yugoslav centre for the treatment of cardiovascular diseases, to which several million people gravitate. The Maternity Hospital in Belgrade, and the biggest hospital in the Balkans (Military Medical Academy Hospital - VMA), and the Orthopaedic hospital of Banjica, the hospitals in Cuprija and Aleksinac, as well as the medical centres in Pristina and in many other towns were damaged.

DESTRUCTION OF PRE-SCHOOL INSTITUTIONS, SCHOOLS AND UNIVERSITIES

Since the outset of the aggression, NATO has put a stop to the education of close to one million pupils and students in Yugoslavia. Over three hundred facilities built for the education and upbringing of children and young people of all ages were destroyed. This will inevitably be reflected on the development and social integration of young people. Hard hit are university centre in Nis (Machine Engineering, Civil Engineering, Electronical, Technical, Law and Economics faculties), in Pristina (Agricultural and Machine Engineering faculty) and Novi Sad (Faculty of Philosophy).

DESTRUCTION OF WORLD CULTURAL HERITAGE ON THE SOIL OF THE FR OF YUGOSLAVIA

Kosovo and Metohija in particular, but also the entire territory of the FR of Yugoslavia, is a treasury of European culture and civilization since ancient times. By violating all international conventions on the protection of civilization and its heritage, and in the pursuit of the spirit of aggressive nihilism and new barbarity, more than 50 monasteries and churches have been severely damaged thus far, as well as a couple of dozen of other cultural and historic monuments, some under UNESCO protection. Severe damage was caused to the monastery of the Patriarchate of Pec (12th century), Zica (13th century), Decani and Gracanica (14th century, under UNSECO protection), medieval towns of Zvecan (13th century) and Smederevo (15th century), Petrovaradin fortress (18th century), seventeen monasteries on Fruska Gora (15-18th century) and many other priceless historical monuments. The bombs have even destroyed many cemeteries all across Yugoslavia.

USE OF PROHIBITED WEAPONS

In NATO attacks, the state-of-the-art weapons have been used, but also those prohibited under international conventions, such as cluster bombs and slow activating bombs. In a month-long attacks on civilian and other facilities in Serbia, NATO aircraft fired more than 3,500 missiles, including 60 containers with 14,400 cluster bombs. As many as 3,600 cluster bombs were used in the attacks against towns in Kosmet - Pristina, Urosevac, Djakovica, Prizren etc, and many other places and facilities in Serbia. Before the attacks, radio locators were dropped from the aircraft, found in the vicinity of many civilian and business facilities in Serbia.

CO-ORDINATION BETWEEN NATO AND TERRORISTS OF THE SO-CALLED "KLA"

While before the onset of the aggression Albanian terrorists counted on NATO aircraft as air support to their armed groups, now arming, equipping and transport of Albanians living in the USA and other western countries is under way, for actions in the FRY, with a view to making armed formations from them to serve as ground troops of the "Alliance". Albanian terrorists are being trained and armed in the camps in northern Albania - in Tropoje, Kukes and Bajram Curri (they are trained by British, US and Turkish commandos), and then illegally infiltrated into Kosovo and Metohija. Such activity, in direct violation of the resolutions of Security Council, has been particularly stepped up in April when concrete plans for ground invasion against the FRY started to be hatched. So far, several hundred terrorists have been transported from the USA to Albania. Plans are made to equip, arm and train for coordinated actions with NATO, around 6,000 Albanians. According to western sources, Albanian terrorists represent the main source of intelligence for NATO, of military character or those aimed at spreading propaganda against our country. At the moment it is difficult to perceive and evaluate all the humanitarian, economic, environmental, health and other consequences of the NATO criminal aggression against the FR of Yugoslavia. The greatest victim of the aggression is the entire Yugoslav people and its material and cultural resources. At the same time, the violation of the Charter of the United Nations, the NATO has created a precedent which may a cast a shadow over the future of all peoples and sovereign States. The cause for concern is all the grater because, by combining pressure and promises, NATO is drawing an increasing number of countries into its aggression against the FR of Yugoslavia, which will have long-term negative consequences on the future relations and co-operation between all Southeast European countries. Attempts by NATO to justify its brutal aggression by an alleged care for the refugees may bring about an irreversible degradation of the United Nations and involve this highest international forum in the crime against a country which is one of its founding members.

CIVILIAN VICTIMS AND DEVASTATION IN NATO AGGRESSION ON YUGOSLAVIA (April 23, 1999)

OVERVIEW OF DESTRUCTION OF CIVILIAN TARGETS ON THE TERRITORY OF THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF YUGOSLAVIA AS A RESULT OF BARBARIC AND CRIMINAL AGGRESSION BY NATO, FROM 24 MARCH TO 19 APRIL 1999

CIVILIAN CASUALTIES

From the onset of NATO aggression against our country up to 19 April 1999, the North Atlantic Alliance made over 7,000 criminal attacks against the territory of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. 700 warplanes, of which 530 combat planes, were used; more than 2000 cruise missiles were launched and over 6,000 tons of explosives were dropped. About 500 civilians were killed and more than 4,000 sustained serious injuries e.g, in Kursumlija: 13 dead and 25 wounded; in Pancevo: 2 dead and 4 wounded; in Cacak: one dead and 7 wounded; in Kragujevac: over 120 workers were wounded during an attack on the car factory "Zastava"; in Vranje: two dead and 23 wounded; in Aleksinac: 12 dead and more than 40 wounded; in Nagavac village, Orahovac municipality: 11 dead and 5 wounded; in Pristina: 10 dead and 8 wounded; Grdelicka gorge: 55 killed and 16 wounded; attack on two refugee columns, with four cruise missiles, on the Djakovica-Prizren road: 75 killed and 100 wounded, of whom 26 critically; in the village of Srbica: 10 killed, among whom 7 children; Belgrade suburb of Batajnica: a three year old girl was killed,and five civilians wounded.

Three million children are endangered in our country as a result of war and bombardment by NATO criminals. After these barbarian attacks hundreds of thousands citizens have been exposed to poisonous gasses which can have a lasting consequences on the health of the entire population and the environment. After the demolition of the Petrovaradin bridge, Novi Sad and Petrovaradin were cut of water supply (600 000 citizens) since the main and city pipeline was constructed into the bridge. About one million citizens in our country are short of water supply due to the bombardment of NATO aggressors.

About 500 000 workers became jobless due to the total destruction of industrial facilities all around the country. Two million citizens have no means for living and cannot ensure the minimum for existence.

Overall material damage is enormous. Preliminary estimates indicate that barbaric air strikes of the neo-fascist NATO alliance, since the beginning of the unprovoked aggression on the SR of Yugoslavia,on industrial, commercial and civil facilities and structures throughout our peace-loving country, have incurred damages in excess of 10 billion dollars. In the territory of the northern province of Vojvodina alone, damages have been estimated in excess of 3.5 billion dollars.

TRAFFIC

The road and railway networks, especially road and rail bridges, most of which were destroyed or damaged beyond repair, suffered extensive destruction. The targets of attacks were such communications as:

1. BRIDGES (11 DESTROYED AND 13 DAMAGED): 1.The Varadin Bridge over the Danube was destroyed (on 1 April 1999); 2.The "Sloboda" (Freedom) Bridge over the Danube was destroyed (on 4 April 1999); 3.The "Mladosti" (Youth) Bridge over the Danube, connecting Backa Palanka with Ilok, was damaged (on 4 April 1999); 4.The new railway bridge over the Danube connecting Bogojevo and Erdut was damaged (on 5 April 1999); 5.The road bridge over the Danube, connecting Bogojevo with Erdut was damaged (on 5 April 1999); 6.The bridge over the Danube along the Beograd-Novi Sad road, near Beska, Indjija municipality, was damaged (on 1 April 1999); 7.The road bridge along the Magura Belacevac road, 15 kilometres from Pristina, suffered extensive damage.