Anniversary of the Battle of Kosare: Days of heroism and glory

For Serbs, these are the second Thermopylae – a battle where the stronger army does not win, but the one that has something to defend. On this day, 26 years ago, the Battle of Kosare began, one of the most complex military operations during NATO’s attack on the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, codenamed "Allied Force." In interviews with Kosovo Online, active participants of these events highlight that Serbian soldiers, over the 67 days of defense and daily battles, demonstrated heroic bravery and unwavering determination in defending their homeland.

Written by: Djordje Barovic

The Battle of Kosare took place on the peaks of the Junik Mountains.

It began on the Orthodox holiday of Great Friday in the early morning hours with heavy artillery fire from the direction of Albania.

This was followed by a ground assault by members of the KLA (Kosovo Liberation Army), but also by the active units of the Albanian Armed Forces.

In the first two days, the numerically superior enemy was opposed by just over 130 border guards from the 53rd Border Battalion of the Yugoslav Army stationed at this outpost. The KLA forces managed to seize the outpost building but failed to break through this section of the border.

Members of the Yugoslav Army withdrew only after the signing of the Military-Technical Agreement in Kumanovo on June 14, which ended the war between NATO and the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.

During the 67 days of fighting, Serbian forces had 108 soldiers killed, while according to Albanian sources, more than 200 members of the former KLA were killed in this battle.

According to the testimony of the former commander of the "138th Brigade, Agim Ramadani," Rustem Berisha, the attack on the Kosare outpost marked the beginning of the operation "removing the Albanian-Albanian border at Kosare."

"The units of the third operational group began frontal combat, starting from the border line with the goal of removing the Albanian-Albanian border at Kosare. Before this date, the supreme command prepared an operational plan to remove the Albanian-Albanian border, and this plan was presented by Salji Çeku and Agim Ramadani, and I approved it as the commander. Based on this plan, the Albanian-Albanian border was removed," said Berisha.

A completely different account comes from the former deputy commander of the 53rd Border Battalion of the Yugoslav Army, Dragutin Dimcevski.

He emphasizes that the enemy never achieved its goal and that the Serbian soldiers left Kosare only after the signing of the Military-Technical Agreement in Kumanovo.

Dimcevski arrived at this section of the border with Albania on April 9 and, after the wounding of Commander Dusko Sljivancanin, took command of the defense.

"My unit managed to stop the enemy at the very border, inflict losses on them, and allow the units from behind to take their positions and consolidate their ranks," said Dimcevski.

As Dimcevski specifies, the ground offensive was preceded in the early morning hours by artillery preparation from the direction of Albania.

"A precise artillery preparation was carried out on the area of Rasa Kosare and Vis, the highest point at 1385 meters above sea level, or as it's called today, Point 601. It was the point from which the entire defense area of the Kosare outpost was fully controlled. During the artillery preparation, the infantry forces approached very close to our positions at Rasa Kosare, Maja Glava, and Glava," recalls Dimcevski.

He points out that they had previously developed plans for "point defense," which did not involve defending the building of the outpost itself, but the border.

"People often say the outpost was seized. The outpost as a facility was never defended," Dimcevski clarifies.

Describing the 67 days of fighting, he asserts that the defense of Kosare disrupted NATO’s plans.

"I can freely say that this battle disrupted the plans of the aggressors and, of course, the outcome of the battle that was fought. It was fought under extremely unfavorable combat, weather, spatial, and climatic conditions, and it is truly a battle that deserves to be remembered, learned, and studied," emphasizes Dimcevski.

It is difficult for him to single out a specific event from those 67 days of fighting, as each day was tough, but he particularly highlights April 9, 1999.

"I arrived in the early morning hours, around 6:45, and saw that the morale of a large number of soldiers was completely shattered, Rasa Kosare had been seized. Those moments were very hard for me, moments I had never experienced before. The goal was to stop the enemy at the very line and allow units from behind to come and seize their positions. I succeeded because the soldiers trusted me, and I trusted them. The soldiers were top-notch, well-positioned, and distributed at the positions. The defense was point-based, and we were arranged to stop that breakthrough. We spent two days at the border line," recalls this border guard.

He highlights April 11—Orthodox Easter—as an especially difficult moment.

"That was when I had the greatest losses. In the area of Kosare, I had eight soldiers killed, including a commander and seven soldiers. That day was black for us, although it was a major Christian holiday," Dimcevski recalls.

Among the events that particularly etched themselves in his memory was the death of Slavko Krunic on May 4.

His family was only able to recover his body many years later.

"It was only through international organizations and the Red Cross on October 11, 2003, based on DNA, that his remains were recovered. I attended the funeral in the village of Kamenica near Gornji Milanovac," says Dimcevski.

When asked if, after 26 years, he has wished to return to Kosare, this retired lieutenant colonel has no doubts.

"My great desire is to return—not to fight, but as a tourist. I wish to visit all of Kosovo and Metohija, especially Metohija, where I served and truly spent some beautiful days. But unfortunately, I believe I am not welcome there. It’s not safe for me, and I won’t be allowed to go there," Dimcevski believes.

The battle for Kosare also involved the elite military special unit—the 63rd Paratrooper Brigade.

The war chief of staff of this brigade, and now president of the Veterans' Association of the 63rd Paratrooper Brigade, Vidoje Kovacevic, emphasizes that this battle is a symbol of the resistance of the Serbian army and people.

"The Battle of Kosare is one of the symbols of the true resistance of the Serbian army and people against NATO aggressors. That battle is a point of pride for every soldier. It carries an extraordinary message that when the truth and justice are on our side, and we were willing to give our lives to preserve the integrity of the state, there is no greater cost, and we did not hesitate about whether we would do it or not. We pushed each other to complete the task to the end," says Kovacevic for Kosovo Online.

He stresses that the arrival of the unit to Kosare further motivated all the soldiers already present at the border.

"The news quickly spread and gave great moral support to the other units. In terms of numbers, we were the strongest and most dominant unit there, and we transferred our military knowledge and skills to other soldiers, making us an impenetrable wall," Kovacevic specifies.

He explains that the battles took place at close distances.

"We saw them at about 15-20 meters. Essentially, it was a close-quarters battle. Suddenly, you saw their maneuvering backward and the overwhelming artillery and mortar fire from the territory of Albania, supported by NATO aviation," recalls Kovacevic.

The intensity of the battles is underscored by the fact that, in one day alone, 17 paratroopers were severely wounded, and two were killed.

"That moment, when you see stones and the forest erupting around you, with deafening whistling from bullets, mortar, and artillery shells, is something that only with a glance left and right, checking if people are alive, did we encourage each other to endure. The psychological moment prevailed, and the training we did in peaceful conditions in Nis helped us to not give up a single meter of enemy ground," emphasizes Kovacevic.

He also describes the moment when, on April 19, he himself was seriously wounded at the front line.

He says this occurred while taking one of the strategic points of the battlefield—Maja Glava.

"About ten meters away, I heard an Albanian saying in Serbian, 'Come on, Milan, what are you waiting for?'

"In that crossfire, their mortars hit part of our unit, and from about 50 meters away, I saw a yellow light with a black dot. I believe a 40mm grenade, just below the rifle barrel, hit me in the helmet and shattered the entire left side. At that moment, my deputy came to me. I felt a sharp, brief pain, and it felt like when you turn on a tap and just sink away, losing strength, freshness. He knelt down and saw there was no blood, and I was unconscious. He took off my bulletproof vest, cut my suit, and saw a huge wound in my left plexus. He took six compressive bandages, shoved them into the open wound, and called the medic to dress my head," Kovacevic recalls.

A further testament to the intensity of the battle is the fact that the first medic who rushed to him, while providing first aid, was also hit by a bullet to the chest.

"Thank God, both of us survived. That is a moment that can never be forgotten, and I can only say thanks to my comrades who pulled me to safety under such a heavy artillery barrage and got me to the doctor," says Kovacevic.

Despite initial grim predictions that he would lose his left arm and eye, thanks to quick surgery, both his arm and eye were saved.

However, scars remain that remind him of those April days in 1999, at the very border with Albania.

For the first time speaking to the media about what happened to him 26 years ago at Kosare, Zarko Stojkovic, a former member of the 52nd Artillery-Rocket Brigade, admits that he has immense nerves.

He believes that the Battle of Kosare represents the pillar of defense and a symbol of defensive wars for Serbs.

"Back then, we weren't aware of the weight of the battle at Kosare and its significance. Later, it turned out that this battle was a pillar of defense, as well as a symbol of all defensive wars that left a great mark on all of us," says Stojkovic.

He admits that the emotions, both his and those of his comrades, have not faded despite all these years.

"The emotions are strong because the Kosare outpost was defended by 130 soldiers. That means 130 soldiers prevented the attack of Albanian terrorists, the regular Albanian army, armies from other countries, including mujahideen and foreign mercenaries from the French Foreign Legion... However, our soldiers did not succumb to all these challenges, giving their lives, their body parts, their blood for the freedom of our country," Stojkovic says.

Originally from Aleksinac, he was part of the group of soldiers on mandatory military service in 1998.

He completed training as a BOV driver, and the war found him in Djakovica, in the 52nd Artillery-Rocket Brigade.

"This is a unit that is rarely mentioned, yet it had the most involvement in Kosovo in 1998 and 1999. During the war, we lost 16 soldiers," Stojkovic explains.

It was his unit that was the first to head to Kosare for reinforcements on the morning of April 9th.

They set out with three BOVs, and on their way, they first encountered a Pinzgauer, where Dusko Sljivancanin, the commander of the 53rd Border Battalion, and his driver were.

"They fell into an ambush. The driver Miroslav Stojanovic was killed, and Sljivancanin was wounded. We continued and immediately engaged in combat with the enemy. The focus of our fight was towards Rasa Kosare," he recalls.

The battle lasted all day, and as it began to get dark, it was decided for safety reasons to return to the base at the foot of Kosare.

"On the way back, we pushed the Pinzgauer off the road, and the first BOV continued downhill. I was driving the second one, and I just felt a strong explosion under the vehicle and dust. After that, I don’t remember anything," Stojkovic says.

Later, he found out that his vehicle had been hit by a towable anti-tank mine and a rocket from a recoilless gun.

The rocket tore off the vehicle's turret, and the soldiers inside, Lieutenant Petar Misic and the gunner, were severely wounded.

Nikola Popovic and he were left trapped in the vehicle.

He explains that his comrades later told him that fire was coming from his vehicle, and the heat activated 20mm grenades, which made them believe there were no survivors, so they planned to retrieve the bodies the next day.

He regained consciousness only a few hours later.

"I woke up as if from a dream, feeling those pains, growing stronger and stronger. Most intensely in my right side near the lung, not knowing what injuries I had. I had intense pain in my right arm and left leg. At that moment, I started thinking about what could have happened. Various situations were running through my mind. I thought no one was alive, that everyone had perished. At first, I thought NATO planes had hit our convoy. I didn’t even know there was an ambush there," he says.

He describes that in his dazed state, he felt as though he was sitting in a stream. Only later did he realize that it was the blood of his comrade Popovic.

"After a few minutes, I heard some conversations around the vehicle, but I didn’t dare speak because I didn’t know who had arrived, whether they were Albanian or ours. I listened to the conversation and heard them speaking Serbian. I called out to them to pull me out of the vehicle. At that moment, there was silence; they thought, who knows who is calling and from where. They didn’t believe there were any survivors in the vehicle," he describes, recounting just one event from the first day of the battle at Kosare.

After two soldiers helped him down the mountain to Batusa, a village where military medical personnel were located, he received first aid and was then urgently transported first to Pristina, and later to the Military Hospital in Nis.

Once recovered, he started working as a bus driver in Belgrade.

He admits that the events of 1999 left a mark on him and his former comrades.

"All these events left a big impression on all of us. Through the fallen and wounded comrades, the families of the dead due to the absence of their sons, fathers, and others, through depleted uranium due to increased cancer and other illnesses," he notes.

However, he does not hide the fact that he is proud to have been part of the Battle of Kosare and the defense of the country.

"Because of all that, I feel proud, and I can talk about those events and mention my comrades. That story must continue," Stojkovic concludes.