Army of Republika Srpska

The Army of Republika Srpska (Serbian: Војска Републике Српске, ВРС, romanized: Vojska Republike Srpske, VRS), commonly referred to in English as the Bosnian Serb Army, was the military of Republika Srpska, the self-proclaimed secessionist republic, a territory within the newly independent Bosnia and Herzegovina (formerly part of Yugoslavia), which it defied and fought against. Active during the Bosnian War from 1992 to 1995, the Bosnian Serb Army under General Ratko Mladić became the most proficient military force in the Balkans, as well as one of the most reviled armies in the world. After the war it continued to exist as the armed forces of Republika Srpska, one of two entities making up Bosnia and Herzegovina, until 2006 when it was integrated into the Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina. During the conflict, the Bosnian Serb Army conducted several major operations, including Operation Corridor 92, Operation Vrbas '92, Operation Lukavac, Operation Shield '94, and Operation Spider; The army also took part in the Siege of Sarajevo, the longest siege in the history of modern warfare, as well as in the Srebrenica massacre.

Army of Republika Srpska
Војска Републике Српске Vojska Republike Srpske

Military leader	Ratko Mladić
Political leader	Radovan Karadžić
Dates of operation	1992–2006
Split from	Yugoslav People's Army
Merged into	Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina
Allegiance	Republika Srpska
Motives	Independence of Republika Srpska (until 1995)
Headquarters	Pale, Bijeljina, Banja Luka
Size	250,000 by formation 155,000 (1995)
Allies	VJ RSK (until 1995) NOZB (until 1995)
Opponents	ARBiH (until 1995) HVO (until 1995) HV (until 1995) HOS (until 1993) NATO
Battles and wars	Bosnian War: Operation Corridor 92 Operation Vrbas 92 Operation Sadejstvo Operation Lukavac '93 Operation Star '94 Operation Shield '94 Operation Spider Operation Tekbir '95 Operation Una Siege of Sarajevo Siege of Srebrenica
Colours	Red Blue White
Patch
Helmet decal

Personnel

The Army of the Republika Srpska (VRS) was founded on 12 May 1992 from the remnants of the Yugoslav People's Army (JNA) of the former Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia from which Bosnia and Herzegovina had seceded earlier in 1992. When the Bosnian War erupted, the JNA formally discharged 80,000 Bosnian Serb troops. These troops, who were allowed to keep their heavy weapons, formed the core of what would become the Army of the Republika Srpska, benefiting from access to significant JNA stockpiles and infrastructure.

The VRS was made up largely of ethnic Serbs from Bosnia and Herzegovina, but also attracted around 4,000 foreign Orthodox Christian fighters, many of whom were drawn by nationalist or religious motivations. 700 such fighters came from Russia, and 300–800 from Bulgaria. 100 Greeks also volunteered to fight on the side of the Bosnian Serbs, forming the Greek Volunteer Guard which allegedly participated in the Srebrenica massacre. A number of Romanians and Ukrainians fought as well on the Bosnian Serb side.

Post-war status and abolishment

After the war, the country of Bosnia and Herzegovina had two armies, that of the VRS and the Army of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (VFBiH). VFBiH was itself composed of two elements, the ARBiH and HVO. The two armies functioned without a common command, on the principle of "non-intervention in the affairs of the other". Bisera Turković noted that it was 'therefore questionable whether in say a foreign attack on Sarajevo [...the VRS] would defend this capital city'. The existence of the two separate armies was one of the factors impeding civil-military relations development. The VRS conducted demining.

In 2003 the army began to integrate into the Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina. In 2005 a fully integrated unit of Serbs, Bosniaks, and Croats was deployed to augment the US-led coalition forces in Iraq. On 6 June 2006, it was fully integrated into the Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina controlled by the Ministry of Defence of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Leadership

The supreme commander of the VRS was General Ratko Mladić.The Command of the Army of Republika Srpska was organized into several key sectors and departments:

Staff for operational and educative affairs – Major general Manojlo Milovanović (also deputy commander)
Sector for intelligence and security affairs – Colonel Zdravko Tolimir
Sector for morale, religious and legal affairs – Major general Milan Gvero
Sector for rear services – Major general Đorđe Đukić

Closest advisors to General Mladić were Milovanović (operations and planning), Tolimir (intelligence), Gvero (political affairs), and Đukić (logistics). According to opinion of some experts who studied the course of the Bosnian War, the Command of the Main Staff of the Army of Republika Srpska proved to be the most capable military leadership among the participants in the war:

The Main Staff, although composed of various officers arriving from different commands, developed during the war into the most professional staff and planning body among the warring parties in the Bosnian War.

Military operations

1992 Yugoslav campaign in Bosnia (3 April – 19 May 1992) – Victory
Battle of Kupres (1992) (3–11 Apr 1992) against HVO, HOS, HV – Victory
Operation Jackal (7 – 26 June 1992) against HVO, HV – Defeat
Operation Corridor 92 (24 Jun – 6 Oct 1992) against HVO, HOS, HV – Victory
Operation Vrbas '92 (Jun–Oct 1992) against ARBiH, HVO – Victory
Operation Bura (8–13 Nov 1992) against HVO, HOS, HV – Victory
Operation Corridor '93 (1–12 Jan 1993) against ARBiH, HVO – Victory
Operation Cerska '93 (10 Feb – 17 Apr 1993) against ARBiH – Victory
Operation Sadejstvo (20–27 Jul 1993) against ARBiH – Victory
Operation Lukavac '93 (2 Jul – 19 Aug 1993) against ARBiH – Victory
Operation Star '94 (6–18 Apr 1994) against ARBiH, NATO – Victory
Operation Brana '94 (1 Jun – 5 Jul 1994) against ARBiH – Victory
Operation Breza '94 (4–12 Sept 1994) against ARBiH – Defeat
Battle of Kupres (1994) (3 Nov 1994) against ARBiH, HVO – Defeat
Operation Autumn '94 (11–20 Nov 1994) against ARBiH – Victory
Operation Shield '94 (4–20 Nov 1994) against ARBiH – Victory
Operation Spider (16 Nov – 17 Dec 1994) against ARBiH – Victory
Operation Tekbir '95 (15–28 Jun 1995) against ARBiH – Victory
Operation Krivaja '95 (6–11 Jul 1995) against ARBiH – Victory
Operation Stupčanica '95 (25-26 July 1995) against ARBiH – Victory
Operation Summer '95 (25–29 Jul 1995) against HV, HVO – Defeat
Operation Mistral 2 (8–15 Sep 1995) against HV, HVO – Defeat
Operation Sana (13 Sep – 13 Oct 1995) against ARBiH – Defeat
Operation Una (18–19 Sep) against HV – Victory
Operation Southern Move (8–11 Oct 1995) against HV, HVO – Defeat
Operation Prijedor '95 (12–20 Oct 1995) against ARBiH – Victory

Special units

1st Guards Motorized Brigade (Прва гардијска моторизована бригада), General Staff
65th Protection Motorized Regiment (65. заштитни моторизовани пук), General Staff
"Panthers" Special Guards Brigade (Garda Panteri) (Специјална бригада Гарда Пантери), East-Bosnian Corps
Wolves of the Drina, or Drina Wolves (Вукови са Дрине), Drina Corps
Special Unit "Peša" (Специјална Јединица "Пеша"), East-Bosnian Corps
Special Unit "Mando" (Специјална Јединица "Мандо"), East-Bosnian Corps
Special Unit "Osmaci" (Специјална Јединица "Осмаци"), Drina Corps
Serb Guard Ilidža (Српска Гарда Илиџа), Sarajevo-Romanija Corps
White Wolves (Бели Вукови), Sarajevo-Romanija Corps

Organization

The International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia stated that:

"In July 1995, the Armed Forces of the Republika Srpska were under the command and control of the Commander-in-Chief, Radovan Karadžić. His headquarters was in Pale.
Within the framework of the VRS, immediately subordinate to the Commander-in-Chief, was the Main Staff of the VRS, headquartered in Han Pijesak and commanded by General Ratko Mladić. It was the responsibility of the Commander of the Main Staff to issue regulations, orders and instructions regarding the implementation of orders by the Commander-in-Chief, and to discharge the command duties delegated to him by the Commander-in-Chief. The Main Staff of the VRS consisted of staff officers and staff support personnel, as well as some specialised military units such as the 65th Protection Regiment, designed to provide protection and combat services for the Main Staff; and the 10th Sabotage Detachment, a unit trained for operations behind enemy lines and other special combat assignments.
The vast majority of the fighting force of the VRS itself was divided into six geographically-based Corps, all subordinate to, and under the command of, General Mladić and, in turn, the Commander-in-Chief, Radovan Karadzic. In July 1995, the six Corps were the Drina Corps, the 1st Krajina Corps, the 2nd Krajina Corps, the Sarajevo-Romanija Corps, the Hercegovina Corps and the East Bosnia Corps."

1993

1st Krajina Corps – Banja Luka
2nd Krajina Corps – Drvar
3rd Corps – Bijeljina
East Bosnia Corps – Han Pijesak
Herzegovina Corps – Bileća

1995

1st Krajina Corps – Banja Luka
2nd Krajina Corps – Drvar
East Bosnia Corps – Bijeljina
Sarajevo-Romanija Corps – Pale
Drina Corps – Vlasenica
Herzegovina Corps – Bileća

2001

1st Corps – Banja Luka
3rd Corps – Bijeljina
5th Corps – Sokolac
7th Corps – Bileća

Equipment

Tanks and armoured vehicles

M-84
T-54/T-55
T-34
BVP M-80
OT M-60
BTR-50
BOV

Towed artillery

M-56
D-30
M-30
M-46
D-20
M-84
M1^{[dubious – discuss]}
ZiS-3

Self-propelled artillery

2S1 Gvozdika

MLRS

M-63 Plamen
M-77 Oganj
M-87 Orkan

ATGM

AT-3 "Sagger" and AT-5 "Konkurs"

Antitank guns

T-12

Self-Propelled Anti-Aircraft Guns (SPAAG)

ZSU-57-2
M53/59 Praga
BOV-3
ZU-23-2

MANPADs and SAMs

SA-7
SA-18
SA-6
SA-9

Infantry weapons

Pistols

Zastava M88
Zastava M57
CZ99

Assault rifles

Zastava M70
Zastava M80
Zastava M90

Battle rifles

Zastava M77 B1

Submachine guns

Zastava M56
Zastava M85
Zastava M92
Heckler & Koch MP5

Machine guns

Zastava M53
Zastava M77
Zastava M72
Zastava M84
Zastava M87
PKM
M2 Browning

Sniper rifles

Zastava M76
Zastava M91

Anti-tank weapons

M79 Osa
M80 Zolja

Republika Srpska Air Force

Formerly known as Ratno Vazduhoplovstva i Protiv Vazdušna Odbrana Vojske Republike Srpske or RV i PVO RS. Beginning on 1 June 2004, the Republika Srpska Air Force was officially called, Prvi Puk Vazduhoplovstva i Protiv Vazdušna Odbrana Vojske Republike Srpske, also known as 1st Aviation Regiment and Air Defence Force of the Republic of Srpska's Army.

Bibliography

Innes, Michael A. (2006). Bosnian Security after Dayton: New Perspectives. Routledge. ISBN 9780203969014. Retrieved 4 March 2013.
Koknar, Ali M. (14 July 2003). "The Kontraktniki : Russian mercenaries at war in the Balkans". Bosnian Institute. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 17 February 2010.
Ramet, Sabrina P. (2010). Central and Southeast European Politics Since 1989. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 9781139487504. Retrieved 4 March 2013.
Thomas, Nigel (2006). The Yugoslav Wars (2): Bosnia, Kosovo and Macedonia 1992–2001. Osprey Publishing. ISBN 9781841769646. Retrieved 4 March 2013.^{[permanent dead link]}