Terrible cries are still heard from Serbian Hiroshima: Bombing of Serbia costed as much as food for 79 million people! (VIDEO)

It has been eighteen years since the NATO bombing of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and the operation called "Merciful Angel" which took 2,500 lives for 78 days of which 79 were children, while 12,500 people were wounded, and caused damage to the state amounted to over 30 billion dollars!

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On that 24 March 1999, the deafening sound of sirens tore the air, and the flight of "Merciful Angels" was started from the NATO base "Aviano" in Italy, as NATO called their action against the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. Soon, the whole country was shaking.

There is no city or village that NATO bombs didn't strike. Aleksinac was the worst to take the hit, Surdulica, Kursumlija... The entire families remained under the ruins. Milic family died in a heartbeat. Father Dragomir, mother Dragica and their daughter Snezana.

And on this day, 5 April, 11 civilians were killed in Aleksinac. NATO officials admitted bombing Aleksinac, where at least 17 civilians were killed during 78 days, saying that it was "technical error".

A life of a nine months baby Bojana Tosovic and his father Bozina from Merdara has been extinguished under the bombs of "Merciful Angel". Marko Simic (2) and his father Vladan died together in Novi Pazar.

Three year old Milica Rakic has been kiled in Batajniica. In Vladicin Han, a bomb struck graduates in High School who were hugging, Milan Ignjatovic and Gordana Nikolic. A bomb hit Sanja Milenkovic (15) on Varvarin bridge, a girl for who professors predicted brilliant career of a mathematician.

Lives of young Pavlovic, Stefan and Dajana, was over under the ruins of family home in Ralja near Sopot, and their father Vladimir also died. In Murin, in Montenegro, the bodies of little girls from Pristina were excavated, they searched salvation with their relatives - Julijana Brudar and Olivera Maksimovic, with their friend who also died, Miroslav Knezevic. 

The images of demolished Novi Sad bridges and fried train in Grdelicka Klisura remain carved in the mind. Destroyed "Krusik" in Valjevo. "Sloboda" in Cacak. Nis markets, where Ljiljana Spasic was killed, she was 7 months pregnant, student of final year of medicine. 

Foto: Tanjug/Vladimir Dimitrijević

The authorities at the time in Belgrade estimated the damage on 100 billion dollars and asked for remuneration from the members of the NATO. On the other hand, group of Serbian economist waged that the damage was 29.6 billion dollars (the data which is considered relevant). The calculation of Italian analysts is interesting. They warned: 79 million people on the planet could be fed for that money.

Attack on Yugoslavia began around 20 pm, and nineteen countries of the Alliance, without the approval of the UN Security Council, started bombing barracks and anti air defenses of Yugoslav Army in Batajnica, Mladenovac and Pristina.

During the 78 days and nights of bombing, in 30,000 air flights, 50,000 devastating missiles were fired.  2,500 people were killed, 500 civilians, including 79 children. 12,500 people were injured. Infrastructure was badly demolished, businesses, schools, health centers, monuments of culture, media houses.

(Telegraf.co.uk / Srpski Telegraf)