Operation Storm

Battle context

Operation Storm was the last major battle of the Croatian War of Independence and a decisive factor in ending the conflict. Launched against the self-declared Republic of Serbian Krajina across a 630-kilometre front, the operation restored Croatian control over roughly 10,400 square kilometres of territory representing 18.4% of the country's claimed land. The Croatian Army, supported by the Croatian special police and the Army of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina operating from the Bihać pocket in the Krajina forces' rear, achieved a decisive victory against a defending force roughly one-quarter its size. The operation concluded in four days of major fighting, with mopping-up operations continuing until 14 August. By eliminating the RSK as a functioning entity, it also constituted a strategic victory for Bosniak forces in western Bosnia, directly influencing the trajectory of the Bosnian War. Measured by scale, Operation Storm stands as the largest land battle in Europe between the end of World War II and the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine.