Zagorje Pays Tribute: Bedekovčina Lights Lanterns, Krapina Marks 31st Anniversary of Operation Storm
With messages of unity and remembrance for the sacrifice, Krapina-Zagorje County commemorates Victory and Homeland Thanksgiving Day.
With messages of unity and remembrance for the sacrifice, Krapina-Zagorje County commemorates Victory and Homeland Thanksgiving Day.
As Croatia marks the 31st anniversary of the military-police operation Storm, Krapina-Zagorje County is organizing a series of events to honor Croatian veterans. Following the central county commemoration in Krapina on August 4, 2026, the Municipality of Bedekovčina has announced a ceremonial wreath-laying and lantern lighting for the following day.
The central tribute in Bedekovčina will take place on Wednesday, August 5, 2026, at 9:00 AM at the monument on Ante Starčević Square. On the occasion of Victory and Homeland Thanksgiving Day, Croatian Veterans Day, and the 31st anniversary of Operation Storm, organizers invite all residents, delegations from associations, and political parties in the municipality to join.
"By gathering and lighting lanterns, we will pay due tribute to all fallen, deceased, and missing Croatian knights who wove their lives into the freedom of the homeland," the Municipality of Bedekovčina stated.
A day earlier, the central county commemoration was held in Krapina beneath the Old Town. The ceremony brought together numerous veterans, families of the fallen, and government representatives. Robert Puja, president of the Association of Veterans of the 7th Guards Brigade PUMA, addressed the gathering on behalf of war veterans from the First, Second, and Seventh Guards Brigades.
"Today we stand here with pride, but also with deep respect for all those who made it possible for us to live in a free state. Under the leadership of the first president, Dr. Franjo Tuđman, the capability of commanders, and the superhuman courage of the defenders, a historic victory was achieved," Puja said.
He particularly emphasized the obligation to the families of the missing: "Our special thoughts go out to the families of the missing who are still seeking the truth-their waiting obliges us never to give up on dignity."
Member of the 103rd Brigade of the Croatian Army, Branko Kos, recalled his unit's wartime path during Operation Storm. The brigade operated on the demanding Banija front, from Hrvatska Kostajnica to Petrinja, between the Una River and Zrinska Gora. It successfully broke enemy forces and secured the state border.
Kos proudly noted that the brigade suffered no fatalities during the operation, with only about twenty lightly wounded members, making it a lasting symbol of the courage of the Zagorje region.
Mayor of Krapina Zoran Gregurović drew a historical parallel between the commemoration site and the Knin Fortress.
"We are beneath the proud Old Town of Krapina, a place where sessions of the Croatian Parliament were once held to defend against Ottoman conquests. This place holds special symbolism of remembrance that connects us to Knin. Our obligation is to pass on to younger generations the truth about how valuable freedom is and how hard-won it was through sweat, blood, and tears," Gregurović emphasized.
Deputy County Prefect Jasna Petek highlighted that Operation Storm was a key moment that enabled the return of thousands of displaced persons and laid the final foundations of the modern Croatian state. The ceremony in Krapina concluded with the message that freedom must be preserved every day, and the memory of the sacrifice of Zagorje and all Croatian defenders remains a lasting foundation of the homeland.
