| NATO bombing of RTS | |
|---|---|
| Part of Kosovo War | |
Building of RTS damaged in NATO strike |
|
| Type | Missile attack |
| Location | Belgrade, Serbia |
| Target | Television station |
| Date | April 23, 1999 02:06 hrs (CET) |
| Executed by | NATO |
| Casualties | 16 killed ? injured |
|
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The NATO bombing of the Serb Radio and Television headquarters occurred on 23 April 1999, during the Kosovo War, and NATO's aerial campaign against Yugoslavia severely damaging the Belgrade headquarters of Radio Television of Serbia (RTS). Sixteen employees of RTS died when a single NATO rocket hit the building in Belgrade. Many were trapped for days, only communicating over mobile phones. The television station went to air 24 hours later from a secret location. The bombing started controversy in Serbia, as it turned out that employees were not properly evacuated and that it was staffed by more than the minimum necessary number of people.
A new building has been built next to the bombed station while a monument was erected to all of those who have died in the attack.
The murder of British TV-presenter Jill Dando three days later on Monday 26 April 1999 could be linked to the bombing; a Serb claimed to have killed her in revenge.
A report conducted by the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) entitled "Final Report to the Prosecutor by the Committee Established to Review the NATO Bombing Campaign Against the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia" said:
Insofar as the attack actually was aimed at disrupting the communications network, it was legally acceptable ... NATO’s targeting of the RTS building for propaganda purposes was an incidental (albeit complementary) aim of its primary goal of disabling the Serbian military command and control system and to destroy the nerve system and apparatus that keeps Milosević in power
In regards to civilian casualties, it further stated that though they were, "unfortunately high, they do not appear to be clearly disproportionate."
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