Zdravo, raja.
I’m Ukrainian. I’ve visited Sarajevo at least three times since 2010, and honestly, I fell in love with your country. Your history, your strength, your humor in the face of horror – it stuck with me. I’ve become obsessed with learning about the wars after Yugoslavia’s fall, especially the siege of Sarajevo. It haunts me in a way that’s hard to explain.
Recently I learned something I had never heard before: during the war in Bosnia (1995, Goražde), Ukrainian UN peacekeepers – against direct orders – used their armored vehicles to shield and evacuate around 300 Bosniak civilians who were trapped under sniper and artillery fire. The commander was initially reprimanded, but later recognized for saving those lives.
As a Ukrainian, I feel proud, but also curious as to why this story isn’t better known. So my first question: have any of you heard about this? Is it talked about at all in Bosnia?
Second: with Russia now waging a full-scale war on my country, I can’t help but think of the parallels – sieges, shelling of civilians, denial of identity. I know Russia has historically supported Serb forces in the 90s (orthodox brotherhood, vetoes in UN, etc.). So I’m genuinely curious: what do people in Bosnia today think about Russia’s war in Ukraine? Do you see echoes of your own war? Do you feel solidarity, or is it more complicated?
I’m not here to provoke – just to understand and to share a bit of forgotten history between our peoples.
Hvala for reading.
Slava Ukraini, and may Sarajevo always stand as a warning and a symbol of resistance. 🇺🇦❤️🇧🇦