Operation Oluja triggers political controversy in Bosnia and Serbia

Croatian political party HDZ 1990 condemned a statement by Bosnia‑and‑Herzegovina Presidency member Željka Cvijanović that described the 1995 Croatian military operation Oluja as a “criminal action” and “the largest ethnic cleansing in Europe after World War II”. The party said the operation was a legitimate, law‑ful action that helped end the war and called the remarks a revisionist attempt that insults Croatian veterans.

In Serbia, commentator Savo Štrbac described the recent conviction of former Yugoslav People’s Army general Borislav Đukić – sentenced to 16 years for command‑responsibility war crimes – as a “political‑judicial trophy” timed ahead of the anniversary of Operation Oluja. He noted that Croatia has prosecuted more than 4,000 people for war‑related crimes, many in absentia, and argued the verdict reflects broader political motives surrounding the historic operation.