No One Doubts NATO Bombing of Yugoslavia Was Violation of Law - Russian Envoy

BRUSSELS (Sputnik) – The twentieth anniversary of the beginning of the NATO bombing of Yugoslavia is a reason to remind the countries of the alliance that these actions were a gross violation of international law, Russian Permanent Representative to the European Union Vladimir Chizhov told Sputnik.

"The bombing by NATO aircraft in the center of Europe was a gross violation of international law. No one doubts this, including those who made the appropriate decisions… So they do not like to recall this, and I think that there is every reason to remind them about it, including in the context of the 20th anniversary," Chizhov said.

READ MORE: Hard to Accept Cooperation With NATO After 1999 Bombing — Serbian Col. Gen.

In 2000-2002, Chizhov was Russia's envoy to the Balkans.

The NATO bombing of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia took place between 24 March and 10 June in 1999. The alliance’s military operation was carried out without the UN Security Council’s approval and was based on allegations of Western countries that the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (FRY) authorities carried out ethnic cleansing of thousands of Albanians in Kosovo and provoked a humanitarian catastrophe there.

According to the Serbian authorities, about 2,500 people died, while some 12,500 were injured during the NATO bombing.