Tears and Memories in Hrvatska Dubica
On the 31st anniversary of liberation in Operation Storm, residents of the first liberated municipality in Sisak-Moslavina County paid tribute to 137 lives woven into Croatia's foundations.
On the 31st anniversary of liberation in Operation Storm, residents of the first liberated municipality in Sisak-Moslavina County paid tribute to 137 lives woven into Croatia's foundations.
On Tuesday, August 4, 2026, Hrvatska Dubica marked the 31st anniversary of its liberation in the military-police operation Storm. This town was the first liberated municipality in Sisak-Moslavina County, and this year's commemoration once again brought together families of the victims, fellow veterans, and state leadership to honor fallen defenders and civilian casualties.
The central part of the commemoration was marked by personal and painful stories from residents. Ankica Krajči recounted how she last saw her father on September 13, 1991, when she fled as a sixteen-year-old. "I was 16 then, when I fled and my dad stayed. The last time I saw him was September 13, 1991. We always hoped we'd find him somewhere, to bury him, but none of that happened," Krajči told HRT.
Ljiljana Šuštić endured a similar agony; her husband was killed in 1991, but his remains were only found after liberation. "We didn't bury my husband for four years. After four years, when it was liberated, only then did we find the bones. He was buried in 1995, but he was killed in 1991," said Šuštić. Her testimony highlights the long-term suffering of families whose loved ones remained missing.
Participants in the operation also shared their memories of the action itself. Former chief Željko Tomašić described the dramatic moments of crossing the Sava River in the mist. "I still get goosebumps. You had to see that morning, how 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, added that it all looked like a scene from a war movie. "It was like in war movies, people getting into boats, the Sava wide, foggy. They row quietly to the other side, while others cross over the railway bridge. It was pretty stressful," Kramarić said.
Wreaths were laid and candles lit at the commemoration, and Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Croatian Veterans Tomo Medved spoke about the importance of the sacrifice. He emphasized that the names of 39 Croatian defenders are carved into the monument, but the number of victims from the municipality is much higher.
"From the area of Hrvatska Dubica, 137 lives are woven into the foundations of the 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'," Minister Medved stated.
Residents of Hrvatska Dubica said that their town will be fully liberated only when the bodies of all those who gave their lives for it are found.
