«Long-term aggression»: the impact of the military conflict in Yugoslavia on the environment, cultural identity and value orientations

The bombing of Yugoslavia (1999) was one of the most tragic pages in the history of Europe at the end of the 20th century. The military attack not only resulted in destruction and loss of life but also had a significant impact on cultural processes, values, and ideals of society. This article examines how the consequences of military action affected the environment and how these changes influenced the cultural identities, social relations, and values of the region's population. This article analyzes the specific consequences of the 1999 military conflict in the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, which not only grossly violated international law, the sovereignty and integrity of the FRY, a UN member state, but also the right of its citizens to a healthy environment. NATO used the most advanced military technologies not only to kill and injure thousands of civilians and destroy the country's infrastructure, but also to cause unpredictable and longterm impacts on soil, water, air, biodiversity, and public health. Given the chosen nature of the targets, this unprecedented act of aggression, not approved by the UN Security Council, had the hallmarks of environmental warfare and ecocide and is still ongoing.