Thousands joined a memorial procession in Vukovar, including youths wearing T-shirts with siege victims’ names, to honor the town’s fall on November 18, 1991. The event marks a key moment in Croatia’s history.
Led by former defenders, families of the missing, and police officers, the march included 2,717 young participants commemorating those killed during the 86-day siege. Commander Branko Borkovic stressed the need to share Vukovar’s story with future generations.
The siege, launched by the JNA and Serbian forces, ended with the town’s surrender and its destruction. Thousands of non-Serb residents were expelled, and 7,000 prisoners were sent to camps in Serbia.
As the procession reached the Memorial Cemetery, participants lit red lanterns and carried national flags. Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic highlighted ongoing efforts to locate missing persons and urged Serbia to provide more information.
Out of 1,788 wartime missing persons, 1,398 remain unaccounted for. President Zoran Milanovic sent a representative to Vukovar but attended another commemoration in Skabrnja, also attacked on the same day.