Army of Republika Srpska

Personnel

The Army of the Republika Srpska (VRS) was founded on 12 May 1992 from the remnants of the Yugoslav People's Army (JNA) of the former Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia from which Bosnia and Herzegovina had seceded earlier in 1992. When the Bosnian War erupted, the JNA formally discharged 80,000 Bosnian Serb troops. These troops, who were allowed to keep their heavy weapons, formed the core of what would become the Army of the Republika Srpska, benefiting from access to significant JNA stockpiles and infrastructure.

The VRS was made up largely of ethnic Serbs from Bosnia and Herzegovina, but also attracted around 4,000 foreign Orthodox Christian fighters, many of whom were drawn by nationalist or religious motivations. 700 such fighters came from Russia, and 300–800 from Bulgaria. 100 Greeks also volunteered to fight on the side of the Bosnian Serbs, forming the Greek Volunteer Guard which allegedly participated in the Srebrenica massacre. A number of Romanians and Ukrainians fought as well on the Bosnian Serb side.

Post-war status and abolishment

After the war, the country of Bosnia and Herzegovina had two armies, that of the VRS and the Army of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (VFBiH). VFBiH was itself composed of two elements, the ARBiH and HVO. The two armies functioned without a common command, on the principle of "non-intervention in the affairs of the other". Bisera Turković noted that it was 'therefore questionable whether in say a foreign attack on Sarajevo [...the VRS] would defend this capital city'. The existence of the two separate armies was one of the factors impeding civil-military relations development. The VRS conducted demining.

In 2003 the army began to integrate into the Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina. In 2005 a fully integrated unit of Serbs, Bosniaks, and Croats was deployed to augment the US-led coalition forces in Iraq. On 6 June 2006, it was fully integrated into the Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina controlled by the Ministry of Defence of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Leadership

Main article: General Staff of the Army of Republika Srpska

The supreme commander of the VRS was General Ratko Mladić.The Command of the Army of Republika Srpska was organized into several key sectors and departments:

• Staff for operational and educative affairs – Major general Manojlo Milovanović (also deputy commander)
• Sector for intelligence and security affairs – Colonel Zdravko Tolimir
• Sector for morale, religious and legal affairs – Major general Milan Gvero
• Sector for rear services – Major general Đorđe Đukić

Closest advisors to General Mladić were Milovanović (operations and planning), Tolimir (intelligence), Gvero (political affairs), and Đukić (logistics). According to opinion of some experts who studied the course of the Bosnian War, the Command of the Main Staff of the Army of Republika Srpska proved to be the most capable military leadership among the participants in the war:

**

Military operations

• 1992 Yugoslav campaign in Bosnia (3 April – 19 May 1992) – Victory
• Battle of Kupres (1992) (3–11 Apr 1992) against HVO, HOS, HV – Victory
• Operation Jackal (7 – 26 June 1992) against HVO, HV – Defeat
• Operation Corridor 92 (24 Jun – 6 Oct 1992) against HVO, HOS, HV – Victory
• Operation Vrbas '92 (Jun–Oct 1992) against ARBiH, HVO – Victory
• Operation Bura (8–13 Nov 1992) against HVO, HOS, HV – Victory
• Operation Corridor '93 (1–12 Jan 1993) against ARBiH, HVO – Victory
• Operation Cerska '93 (10 Feb – 17 Apr 1993) against ARBiH – Victory
• Operation Sadejstvo (20–27 Jul 1993) against ARBiH – Victory
• Operation Lukavac '93 (2 Jul – 19 Aug 1993) against ARBiH – Victory
• Operation Star '94 (6–18 Apr 1994) against ARBiH, NATO – Victory
• Operation Brana '94 (1 Jun – 5 Jul 1994) against ARBiH – Victory
• Operation Breza '94 (4–12 Sept 1994) against ARBiH – Defeat
• Battle of Kupres (1994) (3 Nov 1994) against ARBiH, HVO – Defeat
• Operation Autumn '94 (11–20 Nov 1994) against ARBiH – Victory
• Operation Shield '94 (4–20 Nov 1994) against ARBiH – Victory
• Operation Spider (16 Nov – 17 Dec 1994) against ARBiH – Victory
• Operation Tekbir '95 (15–28 Jun 1995) against ARBiH – Victory
• Operation Krivaja '95 (6–11 Jul 1995) against ARBiH – Victory
• Operation Stupčanica '95 (25-26 July 1995) against ARBiH – Victory
• Operation Summer '95 (25–29 Jul 1995) against HV, HVO – Defeat
• Operation Mistral 2 (8–15 Sep 1995) against HV, HVO – Defeat
• Operation Sana (13 Sep – 13 Oct 1995) against ARBiH – Defeat
• Operation Una (18–19 Sep) against HV – Victory
• Operation Southern Move (8–11 Oct 1995) against HV, HVO – Defeat
• Operation Prijedor '95 (12–20 Oct 1995) against ARBiH – Victory

Special units

• 1st Guards Motorized Brigade (Прва гардијска моторизована бригада), General Staff
• 65th Protection Motorized Regiment (65. заштитни моторизовани пук), General Staff
• "Panthers" Special Guards Brigade (Garda Panteri) (Специјална бригада Гарда Пантери), East-Bosnian Corps
• Wolves of the Drina, or Drina Wolves (Вукови са Дрине), Drina Corps
• Special Unit "Peša" (Специјална Јединица "Пеша"), East-Bosnian Corps
• Special Unit "Mando" (Специјална Јединица "Мандо"), East-Bosnian Corps
• Special Unit "Osmaci" (Специјална Јединица "Осмаци"), Drina Corps
• Serb Guard Ilidža (Српска Гарда Илиџа), Sarajevo-Romanija Corps
• White Wolves (Бели Вукови), Sarajevo-Romanija Corps

Organization

The International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia stated that:

1993

• 1st Krajina Corps – Banja Luka
• 2nd Krajina Corps – Drvar
• 3rd Corps – Bijeljina
• East Bosnia Corps – Han Pijesak
• Herzegovina Corps – Bileća

1995

• 1st Krajina Corps – Banja Luka
• 2nd Krajina Corps – Drvar
• East Bosnia Corps – Bijeljina
• Sarajevo-Romanija Corps – Pale
• Drina Corps – Vlasenica
• Herzegovina Corps – Bileća

2001

• 1st Corps – Banja Luka
• 3rd Corps – Bijeljina
• 5th Corps – Sokolac
• 7th Corps – Bileća

Equipment

Tanks and armoured vehicles

• M-84 — 200
• T-54/T-55 — 55
• T-34 — 45
• BVP M-80
• OT M-60
• BTR-50
• BOV

Towed artillery

• M-56
• D-30
• M-30
• M-46
• D-20
• M-84
• M1
• ZiS-3

Self-propelled artillery

• 2S1 Gvozdika

MLRS

• M-63 Plamen
• M-77 Oganj
• M-87 Orkan

ATGM

• AT-3 "Sagger" and AT-5 "Konkurs"

Antitank guns

• T-12

Self-Propelled Anti-Aircraft Guns (SPAAG)

• ZSU-57-2
• M53/59 Praga
• BOV-3
• ZU-23-2

MANPADs and SAMs

• SA-7
• SA-18
• SA-6
• SA-9

Infantry weapons

Pistols

• Zastava M88
• Zastava M57
• CZ99

Assault rifles

• Zastava M70
• Zastava M80
• Zastava M90

Battle rifles

• Zastava M77 B1

Submachine guns

• Zastava M56
• Zastava M85
• Zastava M92
• Heckler & Koch MP5

Machine guns

• Zastava M53
• Zastava M77
• Zastava M72
• Zastava M84
• Zastava M87
• PKM
• M2 Browning

Sniper rifles

• Zastava M76
• Zastava M91

Anti-tank weapons

• M79 Osa
• M80 Zolja

Republika Srpska Air Force

Main article: Republika Srpska Air Force

Formerly known as Ratno Vazduhoplovstva i Protiv Vazdušna Odbrana Vojske Republike Srpske or RV i PVO RS. Beginning on 1 June 2004, the Republika Srpska Air Force was officially called, Prvi Puk Vazduhoplovstva i Protiv Vazdušna Odbrana Vojske Republike Srpske, also known as 1st Aviation Regiment and Air Defence Force of the Republic of Srpska's Army.

References

Bibliography

References

1. (until 1995)
2. (until 1995)
3. [[Central Intelligence Agency]], Office of Russian and European Analysis. (2002). "Balkan Battlegrounds: A Military History of the Yugoslav Conflict, 1990–1995, Volume 2". Central Intelligence Agency.
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6. Balkan Battlegrounds Vol.1, page. 141
7. "A City that Doesn't Forget: Sarajevo Thirty Years after the War".
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9. [[#Innes. Innes 2006]], p. 157
10. [[#Thomas. Thomas 2006]], p. 13
11. Helena Smith. (5 January 2003). "Greece faces shame of role in Serb massacre". The Guardian.
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15. (2011). "Military Integration after Civil Wars: Multiethnic Armies, Identity and Post Conflict Reconstruction". Routledge.
16. (2007). "The International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia – Case No. IT-95-5/18-I". UN – ICTY.
17. Balkan Battlegrounds Vol.2, p. 269
18. International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia, [http://www.icty.org/x/cases/borovcanin/ind/en/bor-annexA020906.htm Military Structure of the Army of the Republika Srpska]
19. (17 August 2015). "Roki Vulovic - Panteri / Mauzer, English Lyrics".