VRS Targeted Sarajevo TV Building

Defence witness Vladimir Radojcic confirms at Ratko Mladic’s trial that he ordered firing of a modified air-bomb at the Radio and Television Sarajevo building in the summer of 1995, because the TV station “broadcast the worst possible propaganda against the Serbian people”.

“On June 28, 1995 we launched a modified air-bomb at the RTS building, which was actually a radio and television of the First Corps of the Army of BiH. During the course of the war it broadcast the worst possible propaganda against the Serbian people…They presented us as most notorious criminals,” said lieutenant colonel Radojcic, the then Commander of the Ilidza Brigade with the Republika Srpska Army, VRS.

Radojcic said that he “personally saw the bomb hitting the television building”.  

“I was happy because of that,” the witness said.

The incident, in which one person got killed and 28 wounded, was originally included in the indictment against general Mladic, the then Commander of VRS, who is charged with terrorizing the local population in Sarajevo. However, the incident was removed from the indictment prior to the beginning of the trial.

Witness Radojcic confirmed that he targeted “Aleksa Santic” school building with the same type of bomb on April 7, 1995, adding that “it was called a school, but a center for training of special ABiH forces was situated in it”.  

The bomb missed the building by 20 meters and made a big crater behind it. During his testimony Radojcic said that the school building was “a legitimate military target”.

According to the charges, this bomb destroyed one and damaged 11 houses. On that occasion one person got killed and three were wounded.

Contrary to what the prosecutors said, the witness said that modified air-bombs, which VRS fired from the ground, were more precise than similar bombs dropped from airplanes.  

At the same time, Radojcic denied that his Brigade was responsible for the death of six children in Alipasino Polje neighbourhood, Sarajevo, on January 22, 1994, when mine-thrower grenades exploded in the neighbourhood.    

According to the witness’ testimony, the VRS’ strategy was to protect its population in the Sarajevo surroundings and prevent a breakthrough by the First Corps of ABiH from the city.  

“Blocking civilians was not our goal. There was no full blockade of Sarajevo, as we always allowed civilians to leave. Our enemy did not allow that,” Radojcic said.

The witness said that the Ilidza Brigade opened fire exclusively on military targets in the city, undertaking measures to prevent civilian victims, as per an order from a higher command.

Just like the previous witnesses, Radojcic said that he had never received or given an order to attack or terrorize civilians, while ABiH misused civilian buildings in Sarajevo and opened fired on VRS from those buildings.  

The trial is due to continue tomorrow, June 26, when the Prosecutors will cross-examine witness Radojcic.

Mladic is also charged with genocide in Srebrenica, persecution of Muslims and Croats throughout BiH, which reached the scale of genocide in seven municipalities, and taking UN’s “blue helmets” hostage.