| Date | Main Events on the Ground
| Political/Diplomatic/Military Actions
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| 24 March 1999 | FRY declares state of war.
| Defence Secretary gives evidence to House of Commons Defence Committee.
NATO Secretary General sends separate letters to President of Macedonia and Prime Ministers of Albania, Bulgaria, Romania and Slovenia. Would be unacceptable if FRY were to threaten their territorial integrity, political independence and security. Alliance would view with utmost seriousness any attack: their security is of direct and material concern to the Alliance. To President of Macedonia, adds that any attack on NATO forces stationed in his country would be met by an appropriate NATO response.
NATO air strikes being at 1900 GMT. First use of UK TLAM.
Statement by Deputy Prime Minister to House of Commons at 2015, announcing start of air campaign.
UN Secretary Council debates NATO action.
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| 24-25 March 1999 |
| Berlin European Council strongly supports NATO action and urges Milosevic to change policy immediately.
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| 25 March 1999 | FRY breaks off diplomatic relations with France, Germany, UK and US, and expels a number of journalists from these countries.
Albanian Radio reports the shelling of its northern border region by FRY forces.
Arkan offers his men to defend Kosovo.
VJ shell villages of Tropoja and Prife in Albania. Refugees report that more than 60 Kosovar men executed in Bela Crkva; 20 teachers massacred in front of their pupils near the Border with Albania; and 20,000 Kosovar civilians rounded up by the VJ in Qirez.
| Debate in House of Lords on Kosovo.
Prime Minister speaks to Russian Prime Minister Primakov by telephone.
Foreign Secretary makes statement to the House on Kosovo. Tells MPs that Milosevic left NATO no choice. Not to have acted while atrocities were being committed would have made UK compliant in Serb repression.
Article by Defence Secretary in "Daily Mirror" on theme "Our resolve is to curb brutality". Key points: Milosevic failed to honour agreements. NATO aim is to curb repression of Kosovars by Serb security forces. Don't want to destroy FRY. We respect rights of Serb minority in Kosovo. We shall seek to avoid civilian casualties. We can't walk away from the tragedy and are determined to see operation through.
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| 26 March 1999 | US produced aerial photograph showing evidence of mass grave in Velika Krusa where 40 Kosovar men had been killed by Serbs according to human rights workers.
Two Serb Mig-29 aircraft shot down by NATO aircraft over eastern Bosnia.
| Draft Russian SCR condemning NATO action defeated by 12 votes to three.
Prime Minister makes television broadcast on Kosovo and deployment of UK forces. Explains reasons for military action on theme of "Taking action is the only chance justice has got".
|
| 27 March 1999 | US F117 stealth fighter downed over Serbia. Pilot rescued safely.
Albanian Ministry of Public Order reports FRY forces fired on border post at Dobrune. Some 30 shells reported to have landed inside Albania.
| Defence Secretary agrees deployment of land-based Close Air Defence assets to Macedonia.
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| 28 March 1999 | Reports of FRY forces crossing border into Albania near Dobrune.
| NATO Secretary General directs initiation of broader range of operations against targets in the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia to allow NATO commanders to intensify their action (moving from Phase 1 of the Phased Air Operation to Phase 2, under authority delegated to him by the NAC).
Defence Secretary agrees to commitment of extra 4 GR7 Harrier, 8 GR1 Tornado and 1 VC10 tanker. Also some 110 personnel for additional essential communications support to be deployed to Macedonia.
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| 29 March 1999 | Refugees claim that Serb forces are ethnically cleansing Pec.
| Foreign Secretary speaks by telephone to US/German/French colleagues.[1]
Statement by Prime Minister to House of Commons on Berlin European Council and Kosovo.
NATO warns Milosevic that he and his military commanders would be held responsible for war crimes committed in Kosovo.
Defence Secretary (plus Messrs Maples and Campbell MP) visits RAF units in Gioia del Colle, Italy.
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| 30 March 1999 | Serbs reportedly shelling Pagarusa Valley where thousands of displaced Kosovars had fled for safety.
| Russian Prime Minister Primakov meets Milosevic in Belgrade. Milosevic offers to reduce troop numbers in Kosovo and to negotiate if NATO stops air strikes. NATO says offer with this condition attached unacceptable.
|
| 31 March 1999 | Rugova, under Serb guard, meets Milosevic. According to Tanjug, the two agree Kosovo's problems can only be resolved by peaceful means. NATO claims Rugova is acting under duress.
Three US troops go missing on Macedonian/FRY border. Later shown on Serb TV.
Serbs destroy repositories containing legal documents to make return of refugees more difficult.
| Statement by Development Secretary to House of Commons on humanitarian assistance to refugees.
Statement by Defence Secretary to House of Commons on progress of NATO air campaign.
Foreign Secretary speaks by telephone to US/French/German/Italian colleagues.
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| 31 March-1 April 1999 |
| Deputy SACEUR visits Albania, Bulgaria and Romania
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| Early April | Indications that Milosevic plans to move against Djukanovic regime.
| NATO warns Milosevic not to destabilise Montenegro.
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| 1 April 1999 | Refugees claim Serb security forces killed at least 47 men in Djakovica.
| EU Troika meets Foreign Ministers of frontline states in Bonn to discuss Kosovo. Foreign Secretary speaks by telephone to US/French/German/Italian colleagues.
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| 2 April 1999 |
| Foreign Secretary speaks by telephone to his US/French/German/Italian colleagues.
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| 3 April 1999 | First air strike against target in central Belgrade.
Italian journalist reports he witnessed looting, burning, ethnic cleansing and executions in Pristina over the previous week.
| Mr Spellar appointed MOD Ministerial focus for humanitarian crisis.
Foreign Secretary speaks by telephone to his US/French/German/Italian colleagues.
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| 4 April 1999 |
| Foreign Secretary speaks by telephone to US/French/German/Italian colleagues.
Meeting of NATO Member States, EU Member States, OSCE, UNHCR, Council of Europe and WEU in Brussels to contribute to co-ordination of humanitarian efforts and to identify concrete measures to address the humanitarian crisis.
Foreign Secretary telephones Djukanovic and says UK committed to preventing Belgrade destabilising Montenegro. Djukanovic grateful for public Western support.
Development Secretary visits Albania. Announces doubling of UK humanitarian aid from £10 million to £20 million. Travels on to Macedonia.
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| 5 April 1999 | Refugee claims Serbs killed 40 men in Suva Reka.
| Development Secretary secures Macedonian agreement to unblock logjam of Kosovars trying to flee to Macedonia. First refugees arrive in UK-built Brazda Camp.
Prime Minister speaks to Clinton on progress of air campaign.
Foreign Secretary speaks by telephone to US/French/German/Italian colleagues.
NAC agrees to deployment of US Apache helicopters and missile systems (MLRS/ATACMS) to Albania.
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| 6 April 1999 | Milosevic declares a unilateral cease fire, promises talks and to allow Kosovo substantial autonomy.
NATO air strikes accidentally hit residential area of Aleksinac, killing five.
440,000 refugees reported to have left Kosovo since 29 March.
| NATO Secretary General issues statement, agreed by NAC, in response to FRY offer of a ceasefire—unilateral ceasefire insufficient, as before a halt in the bombing can be considered, Milosevic must meet demands of international community.
Defence Secretary authorises deployment of small UK contribution to HQ AMF(L) in Albania.
Prime Minister telephones Georgievski. Promises to do all UK can to help Macedonia cope with refugee flows and asks Macedonia to do what it can to help refugees.
Foreign Secretary speaks by telephone to US/French/German colleagues.
Meeting of Chiefs of Defence Staff of France, Germany, Italy, UK and US.
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| 7 April 1999 |
| UN Secretary General makes statement to Commission on Human Rights saying: genocide may be happening in Kosovo; universal outrage has been provoked by Serbian vicious and systematic ethnic cleansing; an international norm is emerging against the violent repression of minorities that will and must take precedence over concerns of sovereignty; no government has the right to hide behind national sovereignty to violate human rights.
Defence Secretary meets US Defense Secretary Cohen in Brussels.
EU Justice and Home Affairs Council, Luxembourg welcomes readiness of Member States and European Community to provide assistance and recognises possible need to provide refuge outside the region.
Contact Group Political Directors meet in Brussels.
Foreign Secretary speaks by telephone to US/French/German/Italian colleagues.
|
| 8 April 1999 | Macedonian soldier shot and killed on border with Kosovo.
| Special EU GAC in Luxembourg on Kosovo attended by regional Foreign Ministers and international organisations emphasises that blame for crisis lies with Milosevic and his regime and confirms it will continue to assist the countries of the region most affected by refugees, and focuses in particular on Albania and Macedonia. Commits a further 250 million Euro for assistance.
Foreign Secretary telephones Georgievski to brief on outcome of GAC and to discuss refugee situation.
Macedonians agree in principle to deployment of second UK battle group but insist that NATO forces cannot use Macedonia for purposes other than peace keeping.
After visiting Skopje, David Manning (FCO) reports that the situation in Macedonia has stabilised but there is still danger that Macedonia might collapse under the weight of the refugee crisis.
Defence Secretary speaks by telephone to French and German colleagues and presses the case for further pre-deployment of KFOR troops to the region.
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| 9 April 1999 |
| Statement by UN Secretary-General calls on FRY authorities to end immediately the campaign of intimidation and expulsion of the civilian population; to cease all activities of military and paramilitary forces in Kosovo and to withdraw these forces; to accept unconditionally the return of all refugees and displaced persons to their homes; to accept the deployment of an international military force to ensure a secure environment for the return of refugees and the unimpeded delivery of humanitarian aid; to permit the international community to verify compliance with the undertakings above. Upon acceptance of these conditions, NATO should suspend air strikes.
Defence Secretary agrees to deploy HMS INVINCIBLE Task Group (INVINCIBLE, NEWCASTLE and FORT AUSTIN) to the Ionian Sea for operations against FRY.
Prime Minister writes to Yeltsin urging the establishment of greater common ground between NATO and Russia to secure a genuine peace in Kosovo.
Yeltsin says in TV broadcast that Russia would not leave any NATO ground operation in Kosovo unanswered. NATO should not provoke Russia to take military action—this could trigger a European or even World War, which was unacceptable. Opposes supply of arms to FRY, although this policy was upsetting the FRY.
Foreign Secretary speaks by telephone to US/German/Italian colleagues.
|
| 9-10 April 1999 |
| G8 Political Directors meet in Dresden and agree a referendum on principles that must be implemented to stop the fighting and resolve the Kosovo crisis.
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| 10 April 1999 | Pentagon report evidence from satellite images of three mass graves containing up to 200 bodies each at Malakrusa, Podujevo and Pastasel.
| Prime Minister discusses Kosovo by telephone with Clinton.
Foreign Secretary speaks by telephone to US/French/German/Italian colleagues.
|
| 11 April 1999 | Albania Foreign Minister says Albania is willing to hand over control of its airspace, ports, airfields and military infrastructure to NATO.
Slavko Curuvija, editor of Dnevni Telegraf, and a critic of Milosevic is shot dead in Belgrade.
FRY arrests three Care aid workers, two Australian and one Yugoslav, on espionage charges.
NATO produce aerial photograph showing mass grave at Pusto Selo.
| Foreign Secretary speaks to KLA leader Thaci by telephone.
|
| 12 April 1999 | Albania Government condemns attack by FRY forces on Tropoje in northern Albania.
FRY parliament votes to join Russia-Belarus union.
NATO airstrike on rail bridge accidentally hits a train travelling between Leskovac and Skopje. Civilian casualties reported.
| Ministerial NAC in Brussels issues declaration, reaffirming NATO objectives that Milosevic must ensure a verifiable stop to all military action and the immediate ending of violence and repression; ensure the withdrawal from Kosovo of the military, police and paramilitary forces. Agree to the stationing in Kosovo of an international military presence; agree to the unconditional and safe return of all refugees and displaced persons and unhindered access to them by humanitarian aid organisations; provide credible assurance of his willingness to work on the basis of the Rambouillet Accords in the establishment of a political framework agreement for Kosovo in conformity with international law and the charter of the United Nations.
Foreign Secretary meets UCK spokesman Krasniqi focusing on humanitarian issues.
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| 13 April 1999 | VJ deserter says he was ordered to shoot 25 Kosovar women, children and pensioners.
Reports from Kosovo tell of Kosovar women being systematically brutalised in Serb rape camps
| NAC approves Operational Plan for the NATO force in Albania (Operation ALLIED HARBOUR—Oplan 10414).
UN Commission on Human Rights adopts resolution on the human rights situation in Kosovo co-sponsored by all EU countries, US, Canada, New Zealand, Australia, EU Associate Countries and OIC Member States. Only Russia votes against.
Prime Minister announces to the House of Commons the deployment of a second Armoured Battle Group to Macedonia, bringing the total number of UK forces in the region to some 6,300.
Defence Secretary agrees to deployment of SSN HMS TURBULENT to the region.
Defence Secretary agrees to increase UK contribution to HQ AMF(L) in Albania from 21 to 60.
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| 14 April 1999 | NATO admits mistaken air strikes against convoy of refugees between Prizren and Djakovica.
Refugees report that Serb helicopters attacked a group of refugees near Prizren killing 40, and that Serbs had killed 47 men in Djakovica.
| Special European Council in Brussels. EU reaffirms full support for NATO action. Chirac's proposal for international interim administration of Kosovo to be EU-led included in conclusions.
Foreign Secretary gives evidence on Kosovo before Foreign Affairs Committee.
Foreign Secretary speaks by telephone to US/French/German/Italian colleagues.
Prime Minister speaks to UN Secretary General.
Prime Minister speaks to Clinton.
Defence Secretary speaks to French, Italian and US Defence Ministers.
German press publish details of plan for Kosovo settlement, with sequencing of steps from a G8 agreement to the return of refugees.
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