Croatia marked the 31st anniversary of the military-police operation Storm in Knin, with the central moment being the raising of the flag on the fortress and a symbolic step forward for 245 killed and missing defenders.
Knin was today the center of emotion and pride as Croatia celebrated Victory and Homeland Thanksgiving Day, Croatian Veterans Day, and the 31st anniversary of the military-police operation Storm. The traditional morning reveille marked the beginning of the central state celebration, which reached its peak at 9:43 AM when the Croatian flag was ceremonially raised on the Knin fortress.
This act, symbolizing the liberation of Knin, was performed by family members of killed and missing defenders together with participants of the Homeland War. Alongside them, the ceremony included cadets from the Police Academy and officer cadets from the Croatian Armed Forces, symbolizing the unbreakable bond between the generation that built the state and those who protect it today.
A particularly moving moment was the symbolic step forward taken by ceremony participants for each of the 245 Croatian defenders killed or missing in operation Storm. This act paid tribute to all those who gave the most precious thing for freedom, and emotions among those gathered were inevitable and deeply moving.
Veterans shared their painful and proud memories. Alen Ković, a member of the 113th Brigade of the Croatian Army and the 15th Šibenik Regiment, described what the Croatian flag means to him. "For us who went through the war from beginning to end, the Croatian flag is something special. Back then, we were ready to give our lives for that flag, for our country, for the creation of our state. There are great emotions here, especially today when it is raised on the Knin fortress," Ković said.
Tin Pauković, a Police Academy cadet, emphasized how much participation means to him. "I am proud and deeply honored to be here on behalf of the Police Academy. It is an honor to step forward for a fallen defender," Pauković said.
However, one of the most harrowing testimonies came from Colonel Boris Mamut, a member of the Croatian Armed Forces, who recalled his personal tragedy. "From Stankovci, I watched them burn our houses down and destroy everything. In the first three months, I lost my father and my home. I was wounded on December 30th, and today I am in the Croatian Army. Those were the gates of hell, but it did not demotivate me," Mamut told Nova TV.
Brigadier and HVO veteran Žarko Šarić reflected on the importance of passing on the values of the Homeland War to younger generations and expressed satisfaction that his children were with him today. "Thirty-one years later, my children are here. That is a good feeling. That operation sealed the war, and today we fight for a better future," Šarić said.
The Victory Day celebration in Knin continues with the state protocol, which includes wreath-laying ceremonies, a holy mass, and a commemorative program in honor of all Croatian defenders and victims of the Homeland War.
