Colonel from Operation Storm Reveals When He Saw the Gates of Hell
Knin marks the 31st anniversary of the Military-Police Operation Storm, with officials emphasizing the importance of unity and dignified remembrance of the defenders' sacrifice.
Knin marks the 31st anniversary of the Military-Police Operation Storm, with officials emphasizing the importance of unity and dignified remembrance of the defenders' sacrifice.
Knin on Wednesday, August 5, 2026, marks the 31st anniversary of the Military-Police Operation Storm, Victory and Homeland Thanksgiving Day, and Croatian Veterans Day. The central commemoration gathered numerous citizens and officials, and in a special program on N1 television, Croatian Air Force Colonel Boris Mamut shared his wartime memories.
Colonel Mamut, who directly participated in Operation Storm, recalled the dramatic moments at the start of the operation and the key role of the air force. In an emotional testimony, he described the moment when, as he said, he saw "the gates of hell."
"After the fall of our village, we went to Stankovci," Mamut recounted, as reported by Dnevno.hr, painting a picture of the hardships of the war path and the determination of Croatian forces in liberating occupied territory.
Ahead of the central celebration, Member of Parliament and Mayor of Koprivnica Mišel Jakšić emphasized the importance of unity and love for the homeland. "This is a day when we must all remind ourselves how important unity and love for the homeland are. We should not do this only when we are here, but every day, because only then can we build a better, fairer, and more responsible society than the one we have today," Jakšić said, as reported by HRT.
Mayor of Knin Marijo Ćaćić congratulated all citizens on the holiday and stated that the city is ready for the commemoration. Commenting on the turnout, he dismissed speculation about numbers. "I have never speculated about the number of visitors, and I think it is very ungrateful to do so. This is not a round anniversary, and we did not expect numbers like 100,000 people, but I am very satisfied with the turnout," Ćaćić said. He emphasized that the exhibition of wartime equipment and the city streets were already very busy from early morning, and he expects even more people to arrive during the day.
Member of Parliament Ivan Račan stressed that Victory Day primarily reminds him of all those who endured wartime trials. "This day reminds me above all of everything we went through together during the Homeland War. Each of us carried its burden in our own way, through various sacrifices. The greatest burden was borne by those who lost their lives and those who directly participated in the war. However, the war left its mark on all of us who lived through it, and everyone remembers it in their own way," Račan said.
Borislav Lapenda Lav, head of the association of veterans of the 4th Guards Brigade, stated that Victory Day evokes in him a sense of pride and emotions that are always present. He also said it is positive that in recent years Operation Storm has been celebrated in other Croatian cities as well, and he partially attributes the reduced number of visitors in Knin to the heat and the aging of the veteran population. Speaking about the progress of the state, he concluded that creating their own state was a thousand-year dream of the Croatian people, as reported by HRT.
