Key Facts
- Duration of siege
- April 1992 – July 1995 (3 years)
- Massacre victims
- More than 8,000 Bosniak men and boys
- Operation name
- Operation Krivaja '95
- Ruling by international courts
- Judged a crime of genocide
- Key conviction
- VRS General Radislav Krstić sentenced to life
Strategic Narrative Overview
For three years, Srebrenica's defenders, led by ARBiH commander Naser Orić, held out under brutal siege conditions. In June 1995 Orić departed for Tuzla, leaving Major Ramiz Bećirović in command. In July 1995, VRS forces augmented by Greek and Russian paramilitary volunteers launched Operation Krivaja '95, rapidly overrunning the enclave and overcoming its weakened garrison despite Srebrenica's UN-designated safe area status.
01 / The Origins
During the Bosnian War, the ethnically mixed town of Srebrenica in eastern Bosnia became a flashpoint after the breakup of Yugoslavia. In April 1992, Yugoslav People's Army and Serbian Volunteer Guard forces assaulted the town, and by May 1992 the Army of Republika Srpska had encircled it. The siege was rooted in the broader ethnic conflict between Bosnian Serb forces seeking territorial consolidation and the Bosniak population resisting displacement and subjugation.
03 / The Outcome
After the enclave fell in July 1995, VRS forces systematically separated Bosniak men and boys from women and children, then executed more than 8,000 of them. International criminal tribunals subsequently convicted VRS generals Radislav Krstić and Zdravko Tolimir of genocide, sentencing both to life imprisonment. Commander Ratko Mladić faced separate indictment for the massacre, while Naser Orić was convicted then acquitted on appeal for prisoner mistreatment.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
3 belligerents
Ratko Mladić, Radislav Krstić, Zdravko Tolimir.
Side B
1 belligerent
Naser Orić, Ramiz Bećirović.
Kinetic Engagement Axis
Scroll horizontally to view full axis. Events plotted relatively.