politics
March 24, 2026
Surdulica was the Serbian Hiroshima
Surdulica – How difficult it is for all those people who found some peace here after 'Oluja' from the persecution they experienced in Croatia, and then also suffered here. What can their loved ones do but water with tears the Masuričko cemetery where they rest, I quietly record the words of Miroslav Petrović, a pensioner from Surdulica who lives in a building in close proximity to the Special Hospital for Lung Diseases in this city.
TL;DR
- Surdulica suffered extensive damage and civilian casualties during NATO bombings in 1999, earning it the moniker 'Serbian Hiroshima'.
- Specific attacks on April 21st, April 27th, and May 31st resulted in the deaths of refugees, families (including children), and hospital patients.
- Over 500 houses were destroyed, and the town had the highest number of civilian casualties relative to its population among all municipalities in the FR Yugoslavia.
- Survivors and journalists recount harrowing experiences and the difficulty in processing the trauma and loss.
- There are lingering questions about the potential use of depleted uranium and the lack of NATO accountability for the events.
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