33RD ANNIVERSARY OF FORMATION OF THE DRINA CORPS OF THE REPUBLIKA SRPSKA ARMY MARKED

VLASENICA, NOVEMBER 1 /SRNA/ - The 33rd anniversary of the formation of the Drina Corps of the Republika Srpska Army, in which more than 2,800 soldiers were killed during the Defensive-Patriotic War, was marked in Vlasenica today.

The Drina Corps, a strike formation of the Republika Srpska Army, covered the territory from Semberija, across Majevica and Birač, to Romanija, Old Herzegovina, and Foča. The Deputy Mayor of Vlasenica, Mladen Popović, emphasized the importance of the Drina Corps for the survival of the Serb people, reminding that it had around 18,000 soldiers and that more than 2,800 of them gave their lives for Republika Srpska. “If it hadn’t been for the Republika Srpska Army, there would have been neither Republika Srpska nor us in these areas,” Popović noted. He said that it is tragic that very few verdicts have been handed down for crimes committed against Serbs and that no one has been held accountable, reminding that the renowned pathologist Zoran Stanković described how Serb victims were killed across all areas. "These were the most monstrous crimes, driven by the desire to eradicate our very existence," Popović said. The President of the Veterans’ Organization of the Municipality of Vlasenica, Mile Simanić, emphasized that the members of the Drina Corps had always been up to the task, for which they received many recognitions, the most important being that from the people, who are proud of this formation. He said that he would always stand by the commanders and members of this corps, who, unfortunately, cannot attend such commemorations because dark forces have joined against them solely for having fought for Republika Srpska.