The Bombing of the Railway Station in Leskovac

On 6 May 1999, at 10:30 in the morning, NATO aircraft bombed the center of Leskovac, striking the railway station and a shopping center full of civilians.

Striking at Rush Hour

The attacks were carried out at the time when the market was most crowded - on a Saturday morning when citizens come to buy groceries. Cluster bombs were used, which covered a large area.

Victims

17 civilians were killed, all shoppers and vendors at the market. Over 60 were wounded, many seriously. Among the victims:

• Marija Pavlović (67 years old, a vendor)
• Siniša Nikolić (24 years old, a shopper)
• Dragana Stanković (34 years old, mother of two children)
• Milan Jovanović (55 years old)
• Other victims - mostly elderly citizens

NATO's Claims

NATO claimed that they had targeted a "military facility", but evidence from the scene shows that civilian infrastructure was struck - a market and a passenger railway station.

Material Damage

The railway station, the shopping center, the bus station and over 50 shops were destroyed. The damage was estimated at over 10 million dollars.