Medal for Battle of Kosare hero: Vucic honors Lt. Col. Dimcevski for his bravery

Photo: Sladjana Tasic, Tanjug/Dimitrije Goll

On the occasion of the 21st anniversary of the Battle of Kosare, President of the Republic and Commander-in-Chief of the Serbian Armed Forces Aleksandar Vucic awarded the Order of the White Eagle with Swords of the Second Degree to Lieutenant Colonel Dragutin Dimcevski, for his personal heroism and skillful command of the 53rd Border Battalion of the Yugoslav Army (VJ) during 1998 and 1999, the president's press service said.

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On Good Friday, April 9, 1999, members of the so-called Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) assisted by the Albanian Army and NATO aviation, crossed the state border in the area of the Kosare outpost and attacked Yugoslav Army units with the aim of cutting off communication on the Djakovica-Prizren line, and occupying much of Metohija.

At that time, the 53rd Border Battalion was the first unit of our army to come under enemy attack, and it heroically resisted the enemy while guarding the fatherland.

In addition, the 125th Motorized Brigade, the 63rd Paratrooper Brigade, a part of the 72nd Special Brigade, the Military Police, a part of the 549th Motorized Brigade, parts of the Pristina Corps, reserve soldiers and Russian volunteers participated in the battle.

The Battle of Kosare lasted until the end of NATO's aggression against the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (SRJ) on June 10, 1999

Losses were big on both sides: 108 VJ members (18 officers and NCOs, 50 regular soldiers, 13 reservists, 24 volunteers). In the ranks of the enemy, the so-called KLA lost more than 200 members, while five tanks of the Albanian Army were destroyed, a statement said.

Lieutenant Colonel Dragutin Dimcevski kept a diary during the fighting in 1999, which today is an authentic memory and remembrance of soldiers and events of that period.

He began keeping his diary about the events in that part of the territory back in 1998, which was filled with constant border incidents, terrorist attacks, the cutting off of major roads to Djakovica and Pec, and the killing of soldiers.

(Telegraf.rs/Tanjug)