On the 31st anniversary of its liberation in Operation Storm, Hrvatska Dubica held a commemoration for 137 lives woven into the foundations of an independent Croatia, with moving testimonies from families whose loved ones have yet to be found.
With the laying of wreaths and the lighting of candles, Hrvatska Dubica marked the 31st anniversary of its liberation in the military-police operation "Storm" on August 4, 2026. This place, the first liberated municipality in Sisak-Moslavina County, remembered its fallen residents and Croatian defenders whose names are carved into the monument.
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Croatian Veterans Tomo Medved highlighted the scale of sacrifice in this region. "From the area of Hrvatska Dubica, 137 lives are woven into the foundations of an independent and sovereign Republic of Croatia, and 39 names carved into this stone, Croatian defenders who defended Hrvatska Dubica and liberated it in the military-police operations 'Storm'," Medved stated.
The commemoration was an opportunity to recall dramatic moments from the beginning of Operation Storm alongside fellow soldiers. Former municipal leader Željko Tomašić described the crossing of the Sava River that caught the enemy off guard. "I still get goosebumps. You had to see that morning as we disappeared into the fog with the boats. The other side didn't even sense we had crossed. Once we crossed, then the 'fight' began," Tomašić said.
Zlatko Kramarić, an operative from the Bjelovar Operational Zone, recalled a scene that looked like a film frame. "It was like in war movies, people getting into boats, the wide Sava, the mist. They rowed quietly to the other side, while others crossed over the railway bridge. It was quite stressful," Kramarić said.
Behind every number are personal tragedies. Ankica Krajči, who fled in 1991 at the age of sixteen, is still searching for her father. "I was 16 years old when I fled and when Dad stayed behind. I last saw him on September 13, 1991. We always hoped we would find him somewhere, to give him a proper burial, but nothing came of it," Krajči stated.
Ljiljana Šuštić, widow of a fallen defender, went through similar agony. Her husband was killed in 1991, but the family could not give him a dignified burial until the liberation. "We didn't bury my husband for four years. After four years, when it was liberated, only then did we find his remains. He was buried in 1995, but he was killed in 1991," Šuštić said.
Residents of Hrvatska Dubica emphasize that their town will be fully liberated only when the bodies of all those who gave their lives for it are found, HRT reports.
