Thirty years after the thundering tanks and artillery of Operation Storm swept through the hills and towns of southern Croatia, crushing the self-declared Republic of Serbian Krajina (RSK) and bringing the Croatian War of Independence to its decisive end, the country marked the anniversary not just with solemn remembrance, but with a grand military parade — a thunderous display of Croatia’s newly transformed military power.
Held in the capital city of Zagreb, the event served as both a national celebration and a strategic signal to allies and rivals alike: Croatia has emerged from the scars of war as a modernized military power, integrated into NATO, and increasingly assertive on the regional stage. This year’s commemoration of Operation Storm was unlike any before it — a blend of history, politics, and high-tech ambition.
Operation Storm, which took place from August 4 to 7 in 1995, marked the final chapter of Croatia’s four-year war to free itself from the remnants of Yugoslav control and the Serbian-backed rebel enclaves within its borders. With the operation’s launch, some 150,000 Croatian troops surged into the breakaway RSK, seizing back nearly a third of the country’s territory in a lightning campaign that lasted just 84 hours.
By August 5 — now commemorated annually as the Day of Victory and Homeland Thanksgiving and the Day of Croatian Veterans — the symbolically significant town of Knin had fallen, and the war was all but over.
But the costs were steep. The offensive triggered a mass exodus of ethnic Serbs, with an estimated 200,000 fleeing Croatia. Accusations of war crimes committed by Croatian forces during and after the operation continue to stir regional tensions and legal battles at international tribunals. In Serbia, Operation Storm is mourned as a national tragedy.
Croatian President Zoran Milanović, however, struck a defiant tone ahead of the anniversary parade.
“We are celebrating victories; we don’t hate anyone,” he said. “We are fully aware – and I want those who come after us to be aware – that this is a victory of Croatian soldiers, the Croatian people, and the Croatian leadership of that time.”
The centerpiece of this year’s celebration was a large-scale military parade in Zagreb, showcasing the Croatian Armed Forces’ latest acquisitions — a transformation fueled by defense reforms, increased spending, and a shift towards NATO-standard capabilities.
Watched by tens of thousands of citizens lining Vukovar Street and attended by top military brass and foreign observers, the event was headlined by an impressive flyover of Croatia’s newest pride: the Rafale multirole fighter jets.
Nine of the twelve French-made Rafales, ordered in 2021 and fully delivered by early 2025, roared overhead in tight formation. Purchased from surplus stocks of the French Air and Space Force and upgraded to the F3-R standard, the aircraft represent the most ambitious and expensive modernization effort in the country’s military history.
The Rafales boast cutting-edge capabilities: active electronically scanned array (AESA) radars, electronic warfare suites, precision-guided munitions, and advanced air-to-air missiles. For a country whose air force previously relied on aging Soviet-era MiG-21s, the leap is revolutionary.
“This acquisition dramatically changes our strategic posture,” said Defense Minister Ivan Anušić. “With these aircraft, we move from short-range, second-generation systems to a 4.5-generation platform with full interoperability with our NATO allies.”
The Rafales weren’t the only stars of the parade. For the first time, Croatia publicly displayed two Leopard 2 main battle tanks, temporarily loaned from Germany as a teaser for a much larger acquisition plan.
In 2024, Croatia signed a Letter of Intent to purchase approximately 50 of the most advanced Leopard 2A8 tanks — a model so new that even the German Army has not yet fielded them. Anušić confirmed that Croatia would receive the tanks on the same timeline as Germany.
The parade also marked the debut appearance of the Bayraktar TB2, the battle-proven Turkish-made drone that has reshaped the dynamics of modern warfare in conflicts ranging from Nagorno-Karabakh to Ukraine. Though the TB2s remained grounded during the parade, their presence signaled Croatia’s commitment to integrating unmanned systems into its defense doctrine.
A deal finalized in 2024 will see six TB2s delivered to Croatia, equipped with reconnaissance optics and armed strike capabilities, along with a full package of control stations, radio systems, and training.
“These UAVs will greatly enhance our surveillance and response capabilities, especially in coastal and border regions,” Anušić explained.
One notable absence from the parade was the U.S.-made HIMARS (High Mobility Artillery Rocket System). Croatia agreed to purchase the system in 2024, but delivery timelines remain uncertain.
“The HIMARS is not coming yet. We asked the U.S., but we couldn’t reach an agreement in time,” the Defense Minister said. “What matters most is that the system arrives in our service within the next two years.”
Croatia has steadily increased its defense spending to reach 2% of GDP, meeting NATO’s long-standing target. That has allowed the government to invest heavily in new capabilities across all service branches — from new armored vehicles and aircraft to naval upgrades and cyber defense.
“The modernization effort is about much more than prestige,” said Igor Tabak, a security analyst at the OBRIS institute in Zagreb. “It’s about ensuring real interoperability with NATO forces and asserting Croatia’s role as a stable and capable actor in the region.”
Marinko Krešić, the head of the Croatian General Staff, emphasized that the parade was aimed not only at domestic audiences but also at international partners.
“We want to show our taxpayers where their money is going,” he told N1 television. “And we also want to show NATO and others that we are not a toy – we take our defense seriously.”
Croatia’s transformation from a war-torn state to a NATO and EU member with a rising military profile is rooted in the turbulent collapse of Yugoslavia in the early 1990s.
Once part of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia alongside Serbia, Bosnia, Slovenia, and others, Croatia moved towards independence as the central state began to fracture under the weight of economic stagnation and growing nationalism.
The Croatian population, mostly ethnic Croats (about 78%) with a significant Serb minority (12%), held a referendum in May 1991, with 93% voting for independence. The move was boycotted by most Serbs, who feared marginalization in an independent Croatian state.
With backing from Serbia and the Yugoslav People’s Army (JNA), Serb rebels in Croatia declared the Republic of Serbian Krajina (RSK), occupying nearly a third of Croatian territory. The JNA, increasingly aligned with Serbian President Slobodan Milošević’s dream of a “Greater Serbia,” launched a series of offensives to carve out ethnically Serb territories.
Croatia, under President Franjo Tuđman, resisted — but was initially ill-equipped and outgunned. By late 1991, Serb and JNA forces controlled key highways, cities, and Adriatic ports, isolating the fledgling Croatian state.
A 1992 UN-brokered ceasefire temporarily froze the conflict, with peacekeepers deployed in Krajina. But real peace remained elusive.
Between 1992 and 1994, Croatia quietly rebuilt its army. It launched Operation Flash in May 1995, recapturing Western Slavonia and showcasing its growing strength.
Then came Operation Storm.
From August 4 to 7, 1995, over 150,000 Croatian troops launched a coordinated assault on the RSK. Backed by 400 tanks, 500 artillery pieces, and a small but effective air force, Croatian forces advanced swiftly on multiple fronts.
Their goal: to retake occupied territory and reassert control over the vital road and rail links between Zagreb and the Dalmatian coast.
The offensive shattered Serb resistance. Knin fell by August 5, and within days, the RSK collapsed entirely. Croatian troops reclaimed 10,400 square kilometers of territory.
It was the most significant Croatian military operation since World War II. The war, which had cost the lives of over 20,000 people and displaced hundreds of thousands, was effectively over.
But the operation remains controversial. Human rights groups allege that Croatian forces committed atrocities during and after the offensive. Serbia marks the anniversary with mourning and remembrance for the Serbs who fled or were killed.
In Croatia, Operation Storm is a symbol of resilience and sovereignty — a moment when a people fought for and reclaimed their homeland.
But critics warn that the anniversary must also be an opportunity for reflection.
“Victory is never simple,” said political scientist Milena Rakočević. “While Croatians rightfully celebrate their independence, the stories of displaced Serbs and the conduct of war must also be reckoned with. A mature democracy acknowledges both pride and pain.”
In recent years, efforts to reconcile with Serbia have faltered. Political leaders on both sides have traded barbs over how the war and its aftermath should be remembered.
Still, for most Croatians, the 30th anniversary was about pride — and about a military that no longer plays catch-up.
Since joining NATO in 2009 and the EU in 2013, Croatia has aligned itself with Western defense and political frameworks. It now plays an active role in regional peacekeeping and international military cooperation.
Its armed forces have participated in missions in Afghanistan, Mali, Kosovo, and the Baltic states. With its new fighter jets, tanks, and drones, Croatia’s military aims to project competence and capability.
The 2025 parade — with its Rafales, Leopards, and Bayraktars — was not just a show for citizens, but a message to Brussels, Washington, and even Belgrade.
Thirty years after war ripped it apart, Croatia stands transformed.
And as the Rafales roared above Vukovar Street, it was clear: the country no longer fights for survival, but for stature.
