1991 Siege of Kijevo

Overview

The 1991 siege of Kijevo was one of the earliest clashes of the Croatian War of Independence. The 9th Corps of the Yugoslav People's Army (JNA) led by Colonel Ratko Mladić and the forces of so-called Serbian Autonomous Oblast (region) of Krajina under Knin police chief Milan Martić besieged the Croat-inhabited village of Kijevo in late April and early May 1991. The initial siege was lifted after negotiations that followed major protests in Split against the JNA.

Overview adapted from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Significance

The siege of Kijevo stands as one of the earliest military confrontations of the Croatian War of Independence. The operation was conducted jointly by the JNA's 9th Corps under Colonel Ratko Mladić and Krajina Serb police forces under Milan Martić, marking an early instance of coordination between the Yugoslav federal military and the Serbian Autonomous Oblast of Krajina against a Croat-inhabited village. The initial siege was ultimately lifted following negotiations prompted by major protests in Split against the JNA, demonstrating that political and civilian pressure could, at this early stage of the conflict, constrain military action. The episode illustrated the volatile intersection of federal Yugoslav forces and Krajina Serb paramilitaries that would characterize much of the subsequent war.

Forces & casualties

Commanders (2)