The Army of Republika Srpska ( sr, Војска Републике Српске/Vojska Republike Srpske; ВРС/VRS), commonly referred to in English as the Bosnian Serb Army, was the

military A military, also known collectively as armed forces, is a heavily armed, highly organized force primarily intended for warfare. It is typically authorized and maintained by a sovereign state, with its members identifiable by their distinct ...

Republika Srpska Republika Srpska ( sr-Cyrl, Република Српска, lit=Serb Republic, also known as Republic of Srpska, ) is one of the two entities of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the other being the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is located ...

(RS), the self-proclaimed Serb

secessionist Secession is the withdrawal of a group from a larger entity, especially a political entity, but also from any organization, union or military alliance. Some of the most famous and significant secessions have been: the former Soviet republics l ...

republic, a territory within the newly independent

Bosnia and Herzegovina Bosnia and Herzegovina ( sh, / , ), abbreviated BiH () or B&H, sometimes called Bosnia–Herzegovina and often known informally as Bosnia, is a country at the crossroads of south and southeast Europe, located in the Balkans. Bosnia and ...

(formerly part of

Yugoslavia Yugoslavia (; sh-Latn-Cyrl, separator=" / ", Jugoslavija, Југославија ; sl, Jugoslavija ; mk, Југославија ;; rup, Iugoslavia; hu, Jugoszlávia; rue, label= Pannonian Rusyn, Югославия, translit=Juhoslavij ...

), which it defied and fought against. Active during the

Bosnian War The Bosnian War ( sh, Rat u Bosni i Hercegovini / Рат у Босни и Херцеговини) was an international armed conflict that took place in Bosnia and Herzegovina between 1992 and 1995. The war is commonly seen as having started ...

from 1992 to 1995, it continued to exist as the armed forces of RS, one of two entities making up Bosnia and Herzegovina, until 2006 when it was integrated into the

Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina The Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina ( sh-Latn-Cyrl, separator=" / ", Oružane snage Bosne i Hercegovine, OSBiH, Оружане снаге Босне и Херцеговине, ОСБИХ) is the official military force of Bosnia and Herz ...

. Forces of the VRS engaged in a number of campaigns, including

Operation Corridor 92 Operation Corridor 92 ( sh-Cyrl-Latn, Операција Коридор 92, Operacija Koridor 92) was the largest operation conducted during the Bosnian War by the Army of Republika Srpska (VRS) against the forces of the Croatian Defence Counci ...

Operation Vrbas '92 Operation Vrbas '92 ( sr, Операција Врбас '92) was a military offensive undertaken by the Army of Republika Srpska (''Vojska Republike Srpske'' – VRS) in June–October 1992, during the Bosnian War. The goal of the operation was ...

Operation Bura Operation Bura was a joint offensive conducted by the Croatian Defence Council and the Croatian Army on the territories held by the Nevesinje and Bileća brigades of the Army of Republika Srpska during the Bosnian War. Background As the Yugosl ...

, and

Operation Spider Operation Spider ( sh, Operacija Pauk, Операција Паук) were a series of military actions in northwestern Bosnia that began on November 1994 and continued until the summer of 1995. It was a combined effort of Republika Srpska and the ...

; they were also involved in the

siege of Sarajevo The Siege of Sarajevo ( sh, Opsada Sarajeva) was a prolonged blockade of Sarajevo, the capital of Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bosnia and Herzegovina, during the Bosnian War. After it was initially besieged by the forces of the Yugoslav ...

, as well as the

Srebrenica massacre The Srebrenica massacre ( sh-Latn-Cyrl, separator=" / ", Masakr u Srebrenici, Масакр у Сребреници), also known as the Srebrenica genocide ( sh-Latn-Cyrl, separator=" / ", Genocid u Srebrenici, Геноцид у Сребрен ...

Personnel

The Army of the Republika Srpska (VRS) was founded on 12 May 1992 from the remnants of the

Yugoslav People's Army The Yugoslav People's Army (abbreviated as JNA/; Macedonian and sr-Cyrl-Latn, Југословенска народна армија, Jugoslovenska narodna armija; Croatian and bs, Jugoslavenska narodna armija; sl, Jugoslovanska ljudska ar ...

(JNA) of the former

Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia The Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, commonly referred to as SFR Yugoslavia or simply as Yugoslavia, was a country in Central and Southeast Europe. It emerged in 1945, following World War II, and lasted until 1992, with the breakup of Yu ...

from which

had seceded earlier in 1992. When the

erupted, the JNA formally discharged 80,000

Bosnian Serb The Serbs of Bosnia and Herzegovina ( sr-Cyrl, Срби у Босни и Херцеговини, Srbi u Bosni i Hercegovini) are one of the three constitutive nations (state-forming nations) of the country, predominantly residing in the politi ...

troops. These troops, who were allowed to keep their heavy weapons, formed the backbone of the newly formed Army of the Republika Srpska. Aside from being made up largely of ethnic Serbs from Bosnia and Herzegovina, the VRS also included ca. 4,000 foreign Orthodox Christian volunteers. 700 of whom came from

Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world, with its internationally recognised territory covering , and encompassing one-ei ...

, and 300–800 from

Bulgaria Bulgaria (; bg, България, Bǎlgariya), officially the Republic of Bulgaria,, ) is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the eastern flank of the Balkans, and is bordered by Romania to the north, Serbia and North Macedo ...

. 100

Greeks The Greeks or Hellenes (; el, Έλληνες, ''Éllines'' ) are an ethnic group and nation indigenous to the Eastern Mediterranean and the Black Sea regions, namely Greece, Cyprus, Albania, Italy, Turkey, Egypt, and, to a lesser extent, ot ...

also volunteered to fight on the side of the Bosnian Serbs, forming the

Greek Volunteer Guard The Greek Volunteer Guard ( sr, Грчка Добровољачка Гарда ''Grčka Dobrovoljačka Garda''; gr, Ελληνική Εθελοντική Φρουρά ''Elliniki Ethelodiki Froura'') was a unit of Greek volunteers that fought in ...

which allegedly participated in the

Post-war status and abolishment

After the war, the country of Bosnia and Herzegovina had two armies, that of the VRS and the Army of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (AFBiH). AFBiH was itself composed out of two elements, the ARBiH and HVO. The two armies functioned without a common command, on the principle of "non-intervention in the affairs of the other".

Bisera Turković Bisera Turković (; born 8 December 1954) is a Bosnian diplomat and politician serving as Minister of Foreign Affairs since 2019. She is the current vice-chairwoman of the Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina as well, serving alongside ...

noted that it was 'therefore questionable whether in say a foreign attack on Sarajevo ..the VRSwould defend this capital city'. The existence of the two separate armies was one of the factors impeding civil-military relations development. The VRS conducted demining. In 2003 the army began to integrate into the

. In 2005 a fully integrated unit of Serbs, Bosniaks, and Croats was deployed to augment the US-led coalition forces in

Iraq Iraq,; ku, عێراق, translit=Êraq officially the Republic of Iraq, '; ku, کۆماری عێراق, translit=Komarî Êraq is a country in Western Asia. It is bordered by Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq ...

. On 6 June 2006, it was fully integrated into the Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina controlled by the Ministry of Defence of

Leadership

The supreme commander of the VRS was General

Ratko Mladić Ratko Mladić ( sr-Cyrl, Ратко Младић, ; born 12 March 1942) is a Bosnian Serb convicted war criminal and colonel-general who led the Army of Republika Srpska (VRS) during the Yugoslav Wars. In 2017, he was found guilty of committing ...

, later indicted at the

International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia The International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) was a body of the United Nations that was established to prosecute the war crimes that had been committed during the Yugoslav Wars and to try their perpetrators. The tribunal ...

(ICTY) for genocide, as were some other high-ranking Serb officers. Mladić was arrested in Serbia on 26 May 2011.

Military operations

(24 June – 6 October 1992) against Croatian forces; victory *

(June – October 1992) against ARBiH and HVO; victory *

Mitrovdan offensive Operation Bura was a joint offensive conducted by the Croatian Defence Council and the Croatian Army on the territories held by the Nevesinje and Bileća brigades of the Army of Republika Srpska during the Bosnian War. Background As the Yugosl ...

(8–13 November 1992) against HVO, HOS, HV; victory *

(December 1994) against ARBiH; victory *

Battle of Orašje The Battle of Orašje was fought during the Bosnian War, from 5 May to 10 June 1995, between the Bosnian Serb Army of Republika Srpska (''Vojska Republike Srpske'' – VRS) and the Bosnian Croat Croatian Defence Council (''Hrvatsko vijeće obr ...

(5 May – 10 June 1995) against Croatian forces; defeat

Special units

* Panthers Guard Special Brigade (Garda Panteri) (), East-Bosnian Corps * Wolves from the Drina, or Drina Wolves (), Drina Corps * Special Unit "Mando" (), East-Bosnian Corps * Special Unit "Osmaci" (), Drina Corps * Serb Guard Ilidža (), Sarajevo-Romanija Corps * White Wolves ()

Organization

Vojska Republike Srpske zona odgovornosti korpusa

The

International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia The International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) was a body of the United Nations that was established to prosecute the war crimes that had been committed during the Yugoslav Wars and to try their perpetrators. The tribunal ...

stated that:

"In July 1995, the Armed Forces of the Republika Srpska were under the command and control of the Commander-in-Chief,
Radovan Karadžić Radovan Karadžić ( sr-cyr, Радован Караџић, ; born 19 June 1945) is a Bosnian Serb politician, psychiatrist and poet. He was convicted of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes by the International Criminal Tr ...
. His headquarters was in Pale. Within the framework of the VRS, immediately subordinate to the Commander-in-Chief, was the Main Staff of the VRS, headquartered in Han Pijesak and commanded by General Ratko Mladic. It was the responsibility of the Commander of the Main Staff to issue regulations, orders and instructions regarding the implementation of orders by the Commander-in-Chief, and to discharge the command duties delegated to him by the Commander-in-Chief. The Main Staff of the VRS consisted of staff officers and staff support personnel, as well as some specialised military units such as: the 65th Protection Regiment, designed to provide protection and combat services for the Main Staff; and the 10th Sabotage Detachment, a unit trained for operations behind enemy lines and other special combat assignments. The vast majority of the fighting force of the VRS itself was divided into six geographically-based Corps, all subordinate to, and under the command of, General Mladic and, in turn, the Commander-in-Chief, Radovan Karadzic. In July 1995, the six Corps were the Drina Corps, the 1st Krajina Corps, the 2nd Krajina Corps, the Sarajevo-Romanija Corps, the Hercegovina Corps and the East Bosnia Corps."

1993

* 1st Krajina Corps –

Banja Luka Banja Luka ( sr-Cyrl, Бања Лука, ) or Banjaluka ( sr-Cyrl, Бањалука, ) is the second largest city in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the largest city of Republika Srpska. Banja Luka is also the ''de facto'' capital of this entity. ...

* 2nd Krajina Corps –

Drvar Drvar (, ) is a town and municipality located in Canton 10 of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, an entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The 2013 census registered the municipality as having a population of 7,036. It is situated in western Bos ...

* 3rd Corps –

Bijeljina Bijeljina ( sr-cyrl, Бијељина) is a city and municipality in Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is the provincial center of Semberija, a geographic region in the country's northeast. Administratively, Bijeljina is part of the Republika Srpska ...

* East Bosnia Corps –

Han Pijesak Han Pijesak ( sr-cyrl, Хан Пијесак) is a town and municipality located in Republika Srpska, an entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina. As of 2013, it has a population of 3,530 inhabitants, while the town of Han Pijesak has a population of 2,0 ...

* Herzegovina Corps –

Bileća Bileća ( sr-cyrl, Билећа) is a town and municipality located in Republika Srpska, an entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina. As of 2013, the town has a population of 7,476 inhabitants, while the municipality has 10,807 inhabitants. History ...

1995

1st Krajina Corps 1st Krajina Corps ( Serbian: ''1. '', ''1. '') was one of the seven corps of the Army of Republika Srpska (VRS). Before implementation into the Army of Republika Srpska, the corps was known as 5th Corps of Yugoslav People's Army or Banja Luka Cor ...

–

* 2nd Krajina Corps –

* East Bosnia Corps –

* Sarajevo-Romanija Corps – Pale * Drina Corps –

* Herzegovina Corps –

2001

* 1st Corps – Banja Luka * 3rd Corps – Bijeljina * 5th Corps –

Sokolac Sokolac ( sr-Cyrl, Соколац) is a municipality of the city of Istočno Sarajevo located in Republika Srpska, an entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina. As of 2013, it has a population of 12,021 inhabitants, while the town of Sokolac has a populat ...

* 7th Corps – Bileća

Equipment

Tanks and armoured vehicles

M-84 The M-84 is a Yugoslav main battle tank, a variant of the Soviet T-72. The M-84 is still in service in Croatia, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Kuwait. Development and production Development The M-84 is based on the Soviet T-72M (expo ...

T-54/55 The T-54 and T-55 tanks are a series of Soviet main battle tanks introduced in the years following the Second World War. The first T-54 prototype was completed at Nizhny Tagil by the end of 1945.Steven Zaloga, T-54 and T-55 Main Battle Ta ...

T-34 The T-34 is a Soviet medium tank introduced in 1940. When introduced its 76.2 mm (3 in) tank gun was less powerful than its contemporaries while its 60-degree sloped armour provided good protection against anti-tank weapons. The C ...

BVP M-80 The BVP M-80, is a tracked Yugoslavian-made infantry fighting vehicle, produced from the 1980s until the country's collapse in the 1990s. Development Early research and development of the M-80 began in 1969, with testing of the first completed pr ...

OT M-60 The OT M-60 is a Yugoslav armoured personnel carrier produced from 1962 to 1979. Development The OT (''Oklopni transporter - armoured personnel carrier'') M-60 was the first Yugoslav armored vehicle to enter serial production. Research and devel ...

BTR-50 The BTR-50 (BTR stands for ''Bronetransporter'' (БТР, Бронетранспортер), literally "armored transporter") is a Soviet amphibious armored personnel carrier (APC) based on the PT-76 light tank. The BTR-50 is tracked, unlike mos ...

* BOV

Towed artillery

M46 130mm Guns of the Army of Republika Srpska

960228-A-5792S-005 - Serbian officer shows U

* M-56 * D-30 * M-30 * M-46 * D-20 *

* M-1 *

ZiS-3 The 76-mm divisional gun M1942 (ZiS-3) (russian: 76-мм дивизионная пушка обр. 1942 г. (ЗиС-3)) (GRAU index: 52-P-354U) was a Soviet 76.2 mm divisional field gun used during World War II. ''ZiS'' was a factory design ...

Self-propelled artillery

2S1 Gvozdika The 2S1 ''Gvozdika'' (russian: link=no, 2С1 «Гвоздика», " Carnation") is a Soviet self-propelled howitzer based on the MT-LBu multi-purpose chassis, mounting a 122 mm 2A18 howitzer. "2S1" is its GRAU designation. An alternative ...

MLRS

M-63 Plamen M-63 Plamen ( sr, Пламен; "flame") is a 128mm multiple rocket launcher developed in 1963 in Yugoslavia for use in the Yugoslav People's Army. Development Serbian Prof. Obrad Vučurović, mechanical engineer at the Military Technical Instit ...

M-77 Oganj The M-77 Oganj is a 128mm Self-propelled artillery, self-propelled multiple rocket launcher developed in the former Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, Yugoslavia. NATO designation is the YMRL-32. Development Development started in 1968. Pro ...

M-87 Orkan The M-87 Orkan is a Yugoslavian fully automated self-propelled multiple rocket launcher. The generic M-87 project was configured with 12 launch tubes mounted on a FAP 2832 truck. It has a range of about 50 to 120 km, with the ability to del ...

ATGM

* AT-3 "Sagger" and AT-5 "Konkurs"

Antitank guns

* T-12

Self-Propelled Anti-Aircraft Guns (SPAAG)

ZSU-57-2 The ZSU-57-2 Ob'yekt 500 is a Soviet self-propelled anti-aircraft gun (SPAAG), armed with two 57 mm autocannons. 'ZSU' stands for '' Zenitnaya Samokhodnaya Ustanovka'' (russian: link=no, Зенитная Самоходная Установк ...

M53/59 Praga The M53/59 Praga is a Czechoslovak self-propelled anti-aircraft gun developed in the late 1950s. It consists of a heavily modified Praga V3S six-wheel drive truck chassis, armed with a twin 30 mm AA autocannon mounted on the rear for which t ...

* BOV-3 *

ZU-23-2 The ZU-23-2, also known as ZU-23, is a Soviet towed 23×152mm anti-aircraft twin-barreled autocannon. ZU stands for ''Zenitnaya Ustanovka'' (Russian: Зенитная Установка) – anti-aircraft mount. The GRAU index is 2A13. Developm ...

MANPADs and SAMs

SA-7 The 9K32 Strela-2 (russian: Cтрела, "arrow"; NATO reporting name SA-7 Grail) is a light-weight, shoulder-fired, surface-to-air missile (or MANPADS) system. It is designed to target aircraft at low altitudes with passive infrared homing gui ...

* SA-18 *

SA-6 The 2K12 ''"Kub"'' (russian: 2К12 "Куб"; en, cube) (NATO reporting name: SA-6 "Gainful") mobile surface-to-air missile system is a Soviet low to medium-level air defence system designed to protect ground forces from air attack. "2К12" is ...

SA-9 The 9K31 ''Strela-1'' (russian: 9К31 «Стрела-1»; en, arrow) is a highly mobile, short-range, low altitude infra-red guided surface-to-air missile system. Originally developed by the Soviet Union under the GRAU designation 9K31, it is c ...

Infantry weapons

Pistols

Zastava M88 The Zastava M88 is a semi-automatic pistol produced by Zastava Arms, it is a compact redesign of the Zastava M57 pistol. Features A simple handgun available in 9×19mm Parabellum The 9×19mm Parabellum (also known as 9mm Parabellum or 9mm Luge ...

Zastava M57 The Zastava M57 pistol was the standard sidearm of the Yugoslav Army from 1957 to the country's collapse, produced by Zastava Arms. A licensed copy of the Soviet TT pistol, it is a single-action semi-automatic pistol chambered in 7.62×25mm Tokare ...

* CZ-99

Assault rifles

Zastava M70 The Zastava M70 ( sr-Cyrl, Застава М70) is a 7.62x39mm assault rifle. Developed in Yugoslavia by Zastava Arms during the 1960s, the M70 was an unlicensed derivative of the Soviet AK-47 (specifically the Type 3 variant). It became the st ...

Zastava M80 The Zastava M80 was a 5.56 mm assault rifle produced by Zastava Arms. The M80 had a fixed wooden stock while the M80A had an under-folding metal stock. It was introduced in the early 1980s. It was the 5.56 mm version of the Zastava M70, wit ...

Zastava M90 The Zastava M90 is an assault rifle developed and produced by Zastava Arms in Serbia (formerly the Socialist Republic of Serbia, Yugoslavia). It was developed from the Zastava M70 assault rifle, a modified copy of the Soviet AKM, but with a Wes ...

Battle rifles

* Zastava M77B1

Submachine guns

Zastava M56 The M56 submachine gun is a Yugoslavian submachine gun chambered in 7.62×25mm Tokarev, designed for use with the Yugoslav People's Army. Initially a state-funded product, it was later produced by Zastava Arms and saw use in a number of conflicts ...

Zastava M85 The Zastava M85 is a carbine designed and produced by then Yugoslavian Zastava Arms. It is a shortened version of the original rifle, the Zastava M80, which is itself successor to the Zastava M70 assault rifle. The M85 is practically same as th ...

Zastava M92 The M92 is a carbine developed and manufactured by Zastava Arms Zastava Arms ( sr-Cyrl-Latn, Застава oружје, Zastava oružje) is a Serbian manufacturer of firearms and artillery, based in Kragujevac, Serbia. It was founded in 1853 ...

Heckler & Koch MP5 The Heckler & Koch MP5 (german: Maschinenpistole 5) is a 9x19mm Parabellum submachine gun, developed in the 1960s by a team of engineers from the German small arms manufacturer Heckler & Koch. There are over 100 variants and clones of the MP5, ...

Machine guns

Zastava M53 The MG 42 (shortened from German: ''Maschinengewehr 42'', or "machine gun 42") is a German recoil-operated air-cooled general-purpose machine gun used extensively by the Wehrmacht and the Waffen-SS during the second half of World War II. Enter ...

Zastava M77 The Zastava M77 is a 7.62x51mm light machine gun developed and manufactured by Zastava Arms. It is a Kalashnikov pattern rifle Overview The Zastava M77 rifle chambers and fires the 7.62×51mm NATO round. It is gas-operated, air-cooled, magazin ...

Zastava M72 The Zastava M72 is a light machine gun developed and manufactured by then Yugoslav Zastava Arms company. The M72 was patterned after the Soviet RPK light machine gun. Overview The Zastava M72 chambers and fires the 7.62×39mm M67 round. It is a ...

Zastava M84 The Zastava M84 is a general-purpose machine gun manufactured by Zastava Arms. It is a gas-operated, air-cooled, belt-fed and fully automatic shoulder-fired weapon. The M84 is a clone of the Soviet PKM, one difference being in the stock, which ...

Zastava M87 Zastava (Serbo-Croatian and Slovene for "flag") may refer to: Organizations * Zastava Arms * Zastava Automobiles ** Zastava Special Automobiles * Zastava TERVO, successor to Zastava Trucks Zastava Trucks ( sr, Застава Камиони ) is ...

M2 Browning The M2 machine gun or Browning .50 caliber machine gun (informally, "Ma Deuce") is a heavy machine gun that was designed towards the end of World War I by John Browning. Its design is similar to Browning's earlier M1919 Browning machine gun, ...

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Sniper rifles

Zastava M76 The Zastava M76 is a military semi-automatic designated marksman rifle developed and manufactured by Zastava Arms. History The Zastava Arms Company released the M76 in the mid-1970s. Since then it became the standard issue designated marksman r ...

* Zastava M91

Anti-tank weapons

M79 Rocket Launcher The M79 Osa ( sr, Оса; "wasp") is a Yugoslav-made portable 90 mm anti-tank weapon made of fibre-reinforced plastics. It resembles the French portable anti-tank launcher 89 mm LRAC F1. It consists of the launcher, a CN-6 sighting p ...

M80 Zolja The M80 Zolja ( sr, Зоља, Zolja; "wasp") is a portable one-shot disposable 64 mm unguided anti-tank rocket-propelled grenade, designed in the former Yugoslavia. The M80 Zolja is still produced in Serbia and in North Macedonia. Descri ...

Republika Srpska Air Force

Formerly known as ''Ratno Vazduhoplovstva i Protiv Vazdušna Odbrana Vojske Republike Srpske'' or ''RV i PVO RS''. Beginning on 1 June 2004, the

Air Force was officially called, ''Prvi Puk Vazduhoplovstva i Protiv Vazdušna Odbrana Vojske Republike Srpske'', also known as 1st Aviation Regiment and Air Defence Force of the Republic of Srpska's Army.

References

Books

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Army Of The Republika Srpska 1992 establishments in Bosnia and Herzegovina 2006 disestablishments in Bosnia and Herzegovina Military of Republika Srpska Military units and formations established in 1992 Military units and formations disestablished in 2006 Military units and formations of the Bosnian War Serbian nationalism in Bosnia and Herzegovina Rebel militia groups