DISINFO: Around 2500 people were killed in NATO's bombing campaign
SUMMARY
In 1999, the NATO coalition, including the United States, bombed Yugoslavia for almost three months. According to the Serbian authorities, around 2500 people were killed. 12,500 people were injured.
RESPONSE
Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation about the number of civilian casualties of the NATO bombing and war in former Yugoslavia. According to the Humanitarian Law center, in Serbia (excluding Kosovo) and Montenegro, 275 persons lost their lives in the NATO bombings: 180 civilians, 90 members of the Yugoslav Armed Forces and five members of the Ministry of Interior of Serbia. In Kosovo, 484 people were killed: 267 civilians (209 Albanian and 58 non-Albanian), 171 members of the YA, 20 members of the Serbian MUP and 26 members of the KLA (19 of whom died in the NATO bombing of the Dubrava prison, near Istok). Human Rights Watch concludes that as few as 489 and as many as 528 Yugoslav civilians were killed in the ninety separate incidents in Operation Allied Force. The primary purpose of the campaign was to end violence and repression and force Slobodan Milosevic to withdraw his military, police and para-military forces from Kosovo (see NATO statement from 1999).