Friday March 26, 1999

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The Yugoslav anti-aircraft defence inflicted serious losses to the enemy Nato aviation. According to reliable information, five aircraft have been downed and two pilots have been captured. One aggressor's aircraft was reported missing in the region of Pec. Nato aviation is using the forbidden cassette-bombs. Attacks continued and mainly hit were civilian targets and residential facilities. The Novi Sad daily Dnevnik learnt that one F-17 Black Hawk planes were downed on Mt Fruska Gora on Thursday.

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Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic on Friday saw the most responsible interior affairs and security officials - Yugoslav Interior Minister Zoran Sokolovic, Serbian Interior Minister Vlajko Stoiljkovic, general Vlastimir Djordjevic and Rade Markovic, the head of public and state security department, and general Geza Farkas, the head of the security administration of the Yugoslav Army.

The officials informed President Milosevic that all security bodies and securities are functioning well and that their members are carrying out their duties efficiently, responsibly and highly professionally. They informed President Milosevic that with the beginning of the aggression against this country and the declaration of the state of emmergency and the state of war, the number of criminal offences had decreased which also represented an expression of the growing concernt and responsibility of all the citizens in the function of the defence of the country. Undoubtely this is also contributed to by the fact that with the declaration of the state of war, military courts were established which discourages possible offenders. It was assessed that the morale, patriotic awareness and readiness of all members of the interiror affairs bodies was high. President Milosevic said that in the sphere of security and other spheres of work in the public sector sucessfully being carried out were the prescribed measures. The unity of the nation and armed forces represents the strongest factor of defence, President Slobodan Milosevic said at Friday's meeting with top interior affairs and security officials.

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On Thursday night against, the enemy NATO air force continued bombing the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. They targeted around 40 facilities and inhabited places, announced the information service of the Yugoslav Army's general staff.

The priority targets were military barracks, primarily facilities for the accommodation of soldiers, with the obvious intention to have as many human casualties as possible. Once again, not spared were other important military facilities, especially airports, combat positions of the anti-aircraft defense system, telecommunication centers and commanding places. With the timely detection of the enemy's air forces and with adequate measures of the anti-aircraft defense, Yugoslav Army units were prevented from being taken by surprise. In unequal air combat, in actions against a many times more powerful enemy, according to initial knowledge, anti-aircraft defense units inflicted considerable losses on the aggressor. Yugoslav Army members are defending their country honorably and bravely. The psychological phase of the initial air strike has been successfully overcome and the combat morale of the soldiers and officers has strengthened. This is especially being contributed to by the unity and assistance of the people and the state, the increasing number of volunteers, growing support of the international community and the increasingly sharp condemnation of the aggression, says the statement issued by the information service of the Yugoslav Army's general staff.

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In the conditions of NATO's agression and the state of war in our country, the Federal government adopted a decree on financing extraordinary costs of the country's defense. By this decree, a special federal sales tax has been introduced, that is an import of certain products at the rate of between 0.6 and 4%

The Federal government has adopted a decree on the establishment of federal ministries during the state of war. The present Federal Information Secretariat has become the Federal Information Ministry. Federal Information Minister is Milan Komnenic.

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Yugoslav Foreign Minister Zivadin Jovanovic said that in the air-strikes of the aggressor Nato aviation against Yugoslavia, eleven civilian targets had been hit and a large number of civilian casualties had been reported.

In an interview to the TF1 in Belgrade, Jovanovic called on France to cease taking part in the Nato aggression against this country and added this would be the greatest aid we could be given. France's stance is opposed to friendship between our two nations and the historical alliance of our nations, the Yugoslav foreign minister said. Jovanovic said that an aggression had been carried out against Yugoslavia because we could not accept the document favouring separatism and terrorism and added that the document had not been discussed at the Rambouillet and Paris talks on Kosovo-Metohija.

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Contrary to all principles and norms of international law and the UN Charter, Serbia and Yugoslavia are the target of a barbarian, criminal and fascist Nato aggression and the expression of evil, ruthlessness and everything an honest citizen of the world abhors, said Serbian Prime Minister Mirko Marjanovic opening the 38th International Automobile Fair at the Belgrade Fairground.

Yugoslavia was attacked because it refused to be occupied, Marjanovic said and added that the Serbian nation had never backed down in the face of any aggression. This, according to him, is best testified by the fact that the Yugoslav Army, security forces and the citizens who demonstrated enormous courage, discipline and morality. We will fight the aggression with all available means, Marjanovic said.

He said that despite very unfavourable conditions and fresh blockades, in 1998 positive results were achieved in the sphere of production and exports and the stability of prices was preserved. At this moment, the most important thing is the defence of the country and the country is defended not by means of arms but intensive efforts at work, Marjanovic said. Under the hardest of conditions, we are determined to ensure as normal as possible production trends in the country, and the greatest possible economic and social stability and further implementation of reforms, Serbian Prime Minister Mirko Marjanovic said.

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In the criminal action by the western military alliance against FR Yugoslavia, some 30 schools have been damaged or destroyed, said Serbian Education Minister professor Jovo Todorovic.

He said that the largest number of schools had been damaged in Kosovo-Metohija but that all measures had been taken to protect the pupils and students from the brutal and barbarian aggression.

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Last night was envisaged for the destruction of FR Yugoslavia but it strengthened Yugoslavia, its citizens and its army in the conviction that the defence of our fatherland was our vow and our goal, Yugoslav Information Minister Milan Komnenic told a press conference.

According the Yugoslav Army's official sources, Komnenic said some 40 facilities and populated areas had been targeted.

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Over 200 Albanians from Glogovac and Srbica in Kosovo-Metohija on Friday protested against and publicly condemned the leader of the Kosovo Democratic League, Ibrahim Rugova and other separatist Albanian leaders in Kosovo-Metohija for all the things happening in the southern Serbian province.

The rallied Kosmet Albanians publicly requested NATO cease the bombing of targets in the country in which the Albanians gained the greatest rights which can be obtained in a state, and that Ibrahim Rugova, Adem Demaci and all other terrorist Albanian leaders, who afflicted most damage to the Albanians themselves, be brought to justice.

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Russia will represent Yugoslav interests only in France, the Itar Tass news agency reported.

Russia has received Belgrade's request for it to represent Yugoslav interests in France with which Yugoslavia severed diplomatic relations. The request was positively responded to, a spokesman for the Russian Foreign Ministry said. Besides France, Yugoslavia severed diplomatic relations with the US, Great Britain and Germany since their planes took part in the barbarian air-strikes against FR Yugoslavia.

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Under the strong influence of the aggressor - the US, the UN on Friday rejected a resolution whereby three countries - Russia, China and Namibia called for the curbing of the criminal military assault on FR Yugoslavia and the resumption of the talks on Kosmet.

The resolution was rejected due to the voting machinery although the greater part of mankind voted in favour. More than a billion inhabitants live in the People's Republic of China. That is how this absurdity took place - that a minority decides about the fate of the world. Pending the vote, Russian ambassador to the UN Sergei Lavrov said this was the moment to decide whether the world would be ruled by law or not. Obviously, lawlessness has won.

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Russian President Boris Yeltsin held, on Friday at the Kremlin, a meeting with his closest aides that was devoted Moscow's tasks after NATO's aggression against Yugoslavia.

According to Russian Prime Minister Yevgeni Primakov, they discussed the necessity of taking measures in order for the situation to be returned to political tracks and for the criminal action against Yugoslavia to be stopped. At the State Duma, Primakov informed the leaders of all the parliamentary factions and MP groups about the line being followed by the Russian leadership in resolving the situation in Yugoslavia.

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Nato air-strikes against Yugoslavia will bring no good, Ukrainian President Leonid Kutchma said and added Kiev was strongly in favour of a peaceful solution to the problems in Kosovo-Metohija.

He said that Ukraine wished to take a more active part in the talks on Kosovo-Metohija. In an attempt to contribute to ending Nato military operations against FR Yugosalvia, Ukrainina Foreign Minister Boris Tarasyuk is to arrive in Belgrade on Friday.

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The representative of the NATO information service in Moscow has been ordered to leave Russia, Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov said. He emphasized that Russia had no contact with the NATO leadership, including its Secretary General and that there would be none until the aggression against Yugoslavia ended. Statements from NATO's General Staff that the disagreements between the Alliance and Russia concerning NATO operations in Yugoslavia were allegedly related to tactics, and that our relations were still fruitfully developing are not based on reality, Ivanov said, stressing that the relations were at this stage completely frozen. The Russian minister in this context also said that the Russian leadership had passed a decision to start sending humanitarian aid to Yugoslavia, stressing that Yugoslavia, as well as the Balkans as a whole, were not a place to wage a struggle for interest spheres.

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In sign of protest against NATO's aggression and bombing of the FR Yugoslavia, Russians soldiers so far serving with SFOR under American command, withdrew from it and formed their own command.

At issue are Russian soldiers serving with SFOR, stationed in the area of Ugljevik near Brcko in Republika Srpska, and their withdrawal from the American command came after the Russian government's request.

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The president of the Yugoslav Left's Directorate, professor Mira Markovic received the vice-president of the Bulgarian Parliament Blagovest Sendov on Friday.

Sendov expressed his admiration of the brave and unified conduct of Yugoslav citizens under NATO's aggression adding that he was certain that they would win in this struggle.. Dr Mira Markovic said that she was convinced that days of an intensified resistance to violence and injustice are coming. To stop the evil from spreading, not only those affected by it, but all honest people should unite against it, Mira Markovic stressed.

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I am surprised and shocked by the numerous false and untrue accusations that can be uttered by such a high ranking official in the US administration as is William Cohen, in an attempt to justify the military aggression against the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, said the head of the Yugoslav mission to the UN, Vladislav Jovanovic, to CNN.

Because of such an invented and unrealistic picture, Yugoslavia is now exposed to an open, illegal and unjustified aggression, Jovanovic said. Yugoslavia is not in the position to have a choice. The NATO member countries which have carried out the aggression, decided in advance that Yugoslavia would be destroyed or thrown on its knees. Both options are unacceptable for us, Jovanovic said. He recalled that, throughout its history, the Serbian people fought against various conquerors. Sometimes we were defeated, but never conquered, Jovanovic pointed out. The head of the Yugoslav diplomatic mission said this in reaction to the serious lies about the aggression against the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and the Kosmet crisis, set out by the head of the Pentagon, William Cohen who spoke before him, on Thursday evening, in the Lary King Live show on CNN.

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Yugoslav diplomat in Washington, charge d'affairs Nebojsa Vujovic, said that NATO's brutal aggression against the sovereign FR Yugoslavia was a sabotage of the Security Council, UN and its Charter and the entire international order.

This is a criminal act against mankind, Yugoslav diplomat said in his interviews to around ten American and foreign media on Thursday, among which were the CNN, CBS, the FOX channel, TV AP, and Russia's independent television NTV. Vujovic sharply condemned the aggression, adding that it was absolutely unprovoked and unjustified. At issue is an attack on the entire international system of current relations. Yugoslavia has had a comprehensive political agreement in its hands but it was violated, which is not only a blow for us, but also for all those who wanted a political solution, Vujovic said.

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As NATO member country, Greece called on all member countries of this alliance on Friday to immediately cease bombardment of Yugoslavia and to return to negotiating table, it was announced in Athens.

It is time to return to political dialogue, to find a peaceful solution to the Kosovo problem, said Janis Nikolau, Secretary General of Greek Information Ministry. This country's government informed the Belgrade leadership, as well as the members of the international community on its initiative, the most recent in the series of Greece's increased opositions to NATO's aggression against Yugoslavia

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The Mayor of Moscow, Yuriy Luzkov, said in Paris on Friday that the Nato aggression against Yugoslavia was a more serious threat to world peace than the Cuban crisis of 1962, Reuters reports.

He said the aggression reflected the US hegemony in the world and cautioned it was not good for Europe to follow the strategy of Washington. Luzkov added that on return to Russia he would put forward proposals for the settlement of the Kosmet crisis which he had already discussed with French President Jacques Chirac. The Mayor of Moscow said that air-strikes against FR Yugoslavia could be a second Vietnam and announced Russia could consider lifting the arms embargo against FR Yugoslavia.

This programme is being broadcast across the world on 6185KHz. The FR Yugoslavia is exposed to horrible and criminal Nato air-strikes. Our army and citizens are united in the defence of the country. We in the country know that but we use this opportunity once again to tell the world that we will defend our freedom and independence regardless of the intensity of the activities we are being exposed to.

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Numerous statesmen, diplomats, political parties, distinguished public and cultural figures, sportsmen, the citizens and young people throughout the world have condemned the criminal Nato aggression against the sovereign Yugoslavia.

Expressed in all messages is solidarity and support for Yugoslav nations in the defence of sovereignty and deep concern over peace in the world.

Iraqi Foreign Minister Mohammed Saed Al Sahaf said that entire world should be worried about the dangerous and destructive role of the US which replaced international law and the UN Charter with the laws of the jungle.

Austrian chancellor Viktor Klima and Foreign Minister Wolfgang Shiessel Viktor Klima said they deeply regretted Nato activities and Austrian Deputy Assembly Speaker Heinz Fischer strongly criticized the aggression and said that it had been carried out without authorization from the UN which represented a precedent in international law.

Israeli Foreign Minister Ariel Sharon is sorry for human losses and said he hoped that the peace process would resume.

Prime Minister Massimo D'Alema will submit the joint proposal of the ruling coalition to the Italian MPs and would call for an urgent cessation of the aggression against Yugoslavia.

Roman Catholic Bishops of Austria joined in Vatican's statement saying that the Nato aggression represented a defeat of humanity.

In Friday's Times newspaper, distinguished British historian Norman Stone cautioned that the US bombing of Yugoslavia was the greatest stupidity in international relations which the world had ever seen. An increasingly large number of British MPs express their disagreement with the policy of Prime Minister Blair over the crisis in Kosovo-Metohija.

Throughout Europe and the world protest rallies were held against the Nato aggression against Yugoslavia. TV footage of Moscow and Skopje clearly shows the enormous revolt of the citizens of these two cities over US violent policy which they expressed by tearing and burning American flags.

Throughout the world, young people are raising their voice and expressing outrage at the policy of brutal force in international relations which left the world hopeless. A number of protest rallies has been held in Belarus, Bulgaria, Spain and other countries whereas young people of Russia are registering for volunteers for defending Yugoslavia.

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The Patriarch of Moscow and all of Russia Aleksey said the Russian orthodox Church deeply regretted the bombing of the territory of the fraternal Orthodox nation.

In a letter addressed to Serbian Patriarch Pavle, the leader of the Russian Orthodox Church said that despite protests by the people with common sense, the stern pragmatism of Nato military officials had vanquished the reasonable, patient and persistent work on a diplomatic solution to the Kosmet problem.

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Cuba has labelled the Nato attack against Yugoslavia as an unjust and criminal act of aggression.

The situation in the Balkans is volatile, Nato actions are senseless and doomed, Cuban President Fidel Castro said at a meeting with the president of the Russian State Duma Genadiy Seleznyov who made a brief stop over in Havana, the Itar Tass news agency reports. The Cuban Foreign Ministry on Friday night issued a statement labelling the US as the main instigator of the aggression and called for a peaceful settlement of the Kosmet crisis by means of talks with respect for the sovereignty and will of the Yugoslav nation.

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The spokesman for the State Department, James Rubin, told a press conference in the White House broadcast live by CNN that he had been informed protest rallies against the Nato aggression on the sovereign state of Yugoslavia had been held in Russia and several unimportant countries.

He said that only some one thousand citizens had taken part in the protest rallies in Moscow. However, Rubin overlooked the fact that the footage of the rallies in support for this country had already been presented throughout the world and that it could be noticed that much larger number of the citizens of Moscow and worldwide extended their support which Rubin, naturally, did not wish to admit.

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Russian Defence Minister Igor Sergeyev and Yugoslav Ambassador in Moscow Borislav Milosevic reviewed issues pertaining to the situation in Yugoslavia after Nato's airstrikes and missile assault against the territory of FR Yugoslavia.

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Nato aircraft against the sovereign Yugoslavia is a crime against peace and a small, but freedom-loving nation.

The Serbian nation has no alternative. Without Kosovo, its cultural cradle, it will lose its collective memory. We, the Serbs scattered throughout the world express our solidarity with you in the fatherland. Our so far expressions of solidarity and humanitarian aid will include other activities aimed at reducing pressure against Serbia.

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Messages of support and encouragement from our people dispersed throughout the world keep coming to Radio Yugoslavia via Internet and news agencies. We bring you some of them, whereas the rest of them you can view at our E-mail.

'At this time of aggression on our country, in my name and in the name of all Serbs living in North American continent, I send the words of support to the government of FR Yugoslavia and its president, Slobodan Milosevic. Do not let them tear up our roots, and clip White Angel's wings from the monastery of Milosevo - the most beautiful fresco-painting which entered every art encyclopedia in the world. Do not yield, we are with you, wrote Nenad Krunic from Toronto.

The Serbian community in Wancouver has organized protest demonstrations at which more than 2000 Serbs gathered. Together with our speakers there were three Canadians who condemned American aggression and although citizens of Canada, distanced themselves from the Nato aggression in which, unfortunately their country is taking an active part, writes Dragan Vasic.

Angelina Markovic and Veselin Pejnovic have notified via Internet all those who wish to inform themselves on what was happening to the Serbs in the last several years in Croatia and Bosnia and Hercegovina, how many of them were banished, how with a unspoken consent of the international community they have been turned a national community. The Albanians, however, in Kosovo take arms and fight against the country in which they live, airing their demand for independence and establishing yet another Albanian state. The Americans support their claims, and what is more, bombard the Serbs.

The Serb Association from Bielefeld announces that in Ninberg, Heidelberg and Bielefeld, protest gatherings have been held. Prayers have been said in the Orthodox churches for the sake of the Serbian people and for the villains to come to their senses.

Also, they inform us that they organize day and night watches, that the participants are dressed in black, carry lit candles and give away leaflets to the passers-by.

The World Serb Assembly also calls on all Serbian associations to take part in their actions.

Since your Site with the News is viewed a lot and a great many Serbs in America reads and listens to it, I wish to ask you to carry the news that on March 27th we invite all Serbs to gather at the protest demonstrations in Chicago, writes Dusan Draskovic. In his appeal, among other things he says, 'we invite all honest people to voice their protest against this unprecedented tyrannical act and barbarisms that are being carried our in the name of democracy, human rights and preventing of a humanitarian catastrophe.

A message titled 'Yuga, our Yuga', came from Australia saying 'Our dear fellow-nationals, hold your heads high, and we will do the same. We are always by your side. The message was signed together with our people Boris, Nilola, Mile, to name but a few, numerous Australians.

The best Yugoslav football player, Predrag Mijatovic, said on Friday in Madrid that he will not play for his Spanish club if Nato continues its attacks against Yugoslavia. 'Every man should do what his heart tells him to. I did exactly that, and all other Yugoslav players should do the same',

The news-agencies carry that the Serbs living in Sweden hold protest meetings on the daily basis in Stockholm, Getebourgh, Malame. Their slogans, among other things say: 'Serbia is not Vietnam', and 'War cannot solve anything'.

We have received the news from Belgium that the Yugoslavs and Belgians held a protest meeting in front of the Foreign Ministry building in Brussels, protesting against the brutal aggression of the Nato forces on FR Yugoslavia. A message was handed to the representatives of the Foreign ministry which calls for the cession of the insane air-strike actions in which the civilian are being killed. The meetings continue.

Similar protest gatherings are organized in the Austria, Romania and New Zealand.

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The US citizens are confused with the events in Kosovo-Metohija. These are the indications of a survey conducted by NEWS TV station. The first poll was carried out in the morning of March 25, which shows the Americans are divided as regards the issue, as the survey says, of the US army's meddling into the conflict in Kosovo. The survey shows that 50% of them are in favour of the air-strikes, 30% against,and 20% are uncertain. Two surveys which were published later on, show that the Americans are completely divided - half of them are in favor and the other half against air-strikes.

While US President Bill Clinton is informing the nation about the reasons for air strikes against Serbia, the Americans ask the question: Is IT in Europe and whether this is the name of a local petrol station or similar.

When taking the survey, 20-year old student Kate Randolph from Washington knew, as she put it, that the attack was very important.

Asked whether she knew where Kosovo was, she got confused and said she thought it was a gas station or something like that. When the journalist told her that NATO's bombing of Yugoslavia was in question, her reaction changed in a second. "Impossible", she said. "I am definitely not sure whether I am informed well enough about the political events as much as I would like to be, although I usually know what's going on. I have absolutely no notion about this issue".

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At Friday's press conference, Chinese Foreign Minister Tang Jiasuan expressed grave concern over NATO air-strikes against Yugoslavia and called for a diplomatic resolution of the Kosovo-Metohija issue.

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The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) decided on Friday to withdraw from Macedonia the largest part of the Verification Mission, which left Kosovo-Metohija and went to Macedonia, thus practically opening the door to the criminal attack of the air force armada.

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NATO aggressors against attacked FR of Yugoslavia. According to the information we have received so far, targeted were Belgrade, Aleksinac, Gnjilane, Pristina, Novi Sad and some other areas in the country. The NATO aggressor on Thursday night aimed at a number of targets in Belgrade. Tanjug reports that NATO forces shot a chemical storehouse near the Belgrade suburb of Sremcica. In the nearby Lipovacka Suma, a petrol storehouse was shot which caused a fire. In the Batajnica settlement, an electric station was hot, which caused this part of Belgrade being left without power supply. Near the Galenika medicament factory, strong detonations were heard. there are no reports on possible victims and the wounded. NATO enemy planes on Thursday night dropped a bomb on the Yugoslav Army barracks in Aleksinac. The laundry was hit, and there has been no significant material damage. In the second attack wave against Pristina, the criminals fired two missiles which fell west of Pristina in the very vicinity of the town. Some time after midnight, the aggressor fired yet another missile near the capital of Kosovo-Metohija. NATO also carried out three criminal attacks on Gnjilane. Three detonations were heard from the direction of Fruska Gora near Novi Sad.

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