On this day, in 1999, NATO started the aggression against the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (Serbia and Montenegro) under the pretense of “preventing a humanitarian catastrophe” awaiting the Albanians in Kosovo and Metohija.

By starting an aggression against a sovereign country, NATO violated the UN Charter. The attack was started without the consent of the UN Security Council, contrary to the Helsinki European security document, and contrary even to constitutions of individual NATO member states.

Everyone disregarded the provisions of the NATO Founding Treaty, which exclude the engagement of NATO military forces outside the territories of its member states. Accordingly, through its aggression against the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, NATO promoted itself from a defense alliance to an aggressor one, operating outside the global legal order and beyond the UN Security Council. The aggression against the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia is often presented as a “little Kosovo war”, an “air campaign”, a “humanitarian” or “preventive intervention”. It was, in fact, a war of conquest based on false propaganda.

During the 79 days of aggression by 19 countries led by the USA, lethal weapons prohibited by international conventions were used, cluster bombs and depleted uranium shells included. During this aggression, numerous war crimes were committed against civilians, citizens of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, and a humanitarian catastrophe of monumental proportions was generated. According to estimates, between 2,500 and 3,000 citizens, mainly civilians, were killed.