# Operation Oluja legacy, justice and commemoration

> Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/operation-oluja-legacy-and-commemoration
> Updated: 2026-07-31T09:50:05.000Z. Sources: 18. Developments: 2.

The 31st anniversary of Croatia’s 1995 Operation Oluja continues to generate parallel narratives. Serbian advocacy groups, led by the Documentation‑Informative Center Veritas, maintain that more than 220,000 Krajina Serbs were affected, with 1,904 killed or missing – the majority civilians, women and children. Their updated register repeats the claim that only two low‑level perpetrators, Boža Bačelić and Rajko Krichković, have been convicted, while the Appeals Chamber of the Hague Tribunal overturned earlier verdicts against generals Anto Gotovina and Mladen Markac. The International Court of Justice (2015) classified the operation as ethnic cleansing. Veritas criticises the EU’s “tepid and delayed” response and urges progress on accountability ahead of the anniversary.

In Croatia, commemorations proceeded throughout early August 2026. Lekenik hosted a two‑day programme with a tactical‑technical display, a Prljavo kazalište concert and a youth football tournament. Krk’s “Oluja na Kvarneru” ceremony lit 222 torches for fallen veterans, while Koprivnica held the 13th International Shooting Tournament “Oluja 95” with 24 teams from the region. Vukšić, Dubrovnik’s Museum of the Homeland War and HTV added wreath‑laying ceremonies, a photographic exhibition, and the documentary “Dream of Freedom”. Politician Milorad Pupovac warned against revisionist narratives.

Serbian officials added a new dimension: Veljko Odalović, head of Serbia’s Commission for Missing Persons, accused Croatia of refusing cooperation in locating and identifying Serbian victims, noting that around 30,000 families still await information about missing relatives. The calls for justice and closure remain intertwined with the public remembrance of the operation’s veterans and civilians.

## Claims

- The 31st anniversary of Operation Oluja was commemorated in Croatia on 3–5 August 2026. (corroborated by 8 sources)
- In Koprivnica, the 13th International Shooting Tournament “Oluja 95” featured 24 teams and 33 veteran associations from Croatia, Slovenia, Hungary and Bosnia‑Herzegovina. (corroborated by 2 sources)
- Vukšić held a ceremony on 3 August 2026 with wreath‑laying and candle lighting at the local war memorial. (corroborated by 2 sources)
- HTV broadcast the documentary film “Dream of Freedom” about veterans on 5 August 2026. (single source)
- Milorad Pupovac warned against revisionist interpretations of Operation Oluja ahead of the anniversary. (single source)
- In Lekenik, a program on 4–5 August 2026 included a tactical‑technical display of Croatian Army equipment and a concert by Prljavo kazalište. (single source)
- On Krk, the “Oluja na Kvarneru” ceremony on 4 August 2026 lit 222 torches to honour 222 Kvarner veterans, marking its 10th anniversary. (single source)

## Timeline

### 2026-07-31: Operation Oluja 31st Anniversary Marked Across Croatia

Croatia marked the 31st anniversary of Operation Oluja with memorial services, exhibitions, a shooting tournament, concerts and a TV documentary, while political figures warned against revising its history.

13 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/operation-olujas-31st-anniversary-highlighted-by-dubrovnik-museum-exhibition

### 2026-07-31: Serbian victims of Croatia's 1995 'Oluja' operation still lack justice

Veritas says 1,904 Serbian victims of Croatia's 1995 'Oluja' operation remain unaccounted for, with few convictions and EU response deemed slow as the 31st anniversary approaches.

6 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/serbian-victims-of-croatias-1995-oluja-operation-still-lack-justice

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Cite as: Operation Oluja legacy, justice and commemoration. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/operation-oluja-legacy-and-commemoration