Today marks 27 years since NATO launched its air campaign against military and police targets in Serbia and Montenegro.

The strikes began on March 24, 1999, at around 7:45 p.m., targeting strategic positions of the former Yugoslav army. The intervention came after diplomatic efforts to stop the conflict in Kosovo failed. Then-US President Bill Clinton stated the action was necessary and blamed the Serbian leadership, led by Slobodan Milošević, for escalating violence.

The air campaign continued until June 9, 1999, when the Kumanovo Agreement ended military operations. Two days later, Serbian forces began withdrawing from Kosovo.

This was NATO’s first major military operation since its founding. Its main goal was to stop violence and ethnic cleansing. Thousands of Kosovars were displaced, and many lost their lives or remain missing.

After the conflict, Kosovo came under international administration, with peacekeeping forces deployed, marking a key moment for regional stability and political development.