WITHOUT UNITY AND PATRIOTIC SPIRIT OF THE RSA, BREAKTHROUGH OF THE CORRIDOR WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN POSSIBLE

DOBOJ, JUNE 7 /SRNA/ - The “Corridor of Life” operation in 1992 would not have been possible without the patriotic spirit, unity, and cohesion that characterized the Republika Srpska Army /RSA/, it was emphasized today in Ristića Gaj near Doboj, where the 33rd anniversary of the corridor breakthrough was marked.

Radan Ostojić, the president of the Republika Srpska Veterans’ Organization, emphasized that the corridor operation began from this location to territorially connect the western and eastern parts of Republika Srpska and link them to the motherland, Serbia.

“If this had not been done at the time, the question arises whether Republika Srpska and its freedom would have been defended at all. The Serb people, both during this operation and throughout the entire Patriotic Defense War, had one goal: to defend the Serb people and prevent what happened to them during the Second World War, to preserve their ancestral homes, Republika Srpska, and freedom,” said Ostojić.

Ostojić emphasized that everyone who participated in the war displayed exceptional heroism and patriotism; there were casualties, but there were also victories and freedom.

Zoran Blagojević, President of the Doboj City Assembly, said that the breakthrough of the corridor was one of the brightest battles of the Republika Srpska Army and that it deserves to be spoken about, especially by those who planned the operation.

“This was important not only for Krnjin, Doboj, Trebava, and Vučijak, but for the entire Republika Srpska, and it was especially significant for its western part,” Blagojević emphasized, adding that today we must fight to ensure that this fight for freedom is not forgotten.

War veteran Milan Mihić emphasized that this is a sacred place from which the breakthrough of the corridor began, and that at the time, they were motivated to fight for freedom and to protect their homes.

“We had the will to do everything. I served in the unit alongside my two sons,” Mihić told reporters.

Milorad Nešić, a family member of a fallen soldier, said he was 16 years old when his father died and that he is very proud of him, describing his father as highly respected by his comrades.

The military operation “Corridor 92” lasted from June 14 to June 28, 1992, in the Posavina region. It was carried out by the forces of the First Krajina Corps, the East Bosnian Corps, and the police of the Republika Srpska Krajina, under the command of General Momir Talić.

According to data from the Republika Srpska Center for Research of War, War Crimes, and the Search for Missing Persons, a total of 877 members of the Republika Srpska Army, 15 members of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Srpska, and 17 members of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Republika Srpska Krajina were killed in the “Corridor 92” operation.

The immediate cause of this military action, considered the brightest and most humane wartime undertaking of the Republika Srpska Army, was the death of 12 newborns at the Banja Luka maternity hospital due to a lack of oxygen.

A memorial service in Ristića Gaj, in the Opsine neighborhood of Doboj, was held at the monument bearing the names of 445 fallen Serb soldiers from the Krnjin area. Wreaths were laid by representatives of the families of the fallen and members of the former Krnjin Brigade of the Republika Srpska Army.