Operation Corridor 92 ( sh-Cyrl-Latn, Операција Коридор 92, Operacija Koridor 92) was the largest operation conducted during the
Bosnian war
The Bosnian War ( / Рат у Босни и Херцеговини) was an international armed conflict that took place in Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bosnia and Herzegovina between 1992 and 1995. Following several earlier violent incid ...
by the
Army of Republika Srpska
The Army of Republika Srpska (; ВРС/VRS), commonly referred to in English as the Bosnian Serb Army, was the military of Republika Srpska, the self-proclaimed Serb secessionist republic, a territory within the newly independent Bosnia and Herz ...
(VRS) against the forces of the
Croatian Defence Council
The Croatian Defence Council (, HVO) was the armed wing of the self-proclaimed Croatian Republic of Herzeg-Bosnia, a breakaway entity unrecognised by the international community and accused of ethnic-based violence during the conflict. It exis ...
(HVO) and the
Croatian Army
The Croatian Army ( or HKoV) is the land force branch of the Croatian Armed Forces. It is numerically the largest of the three branches of the Croatian Armed Forces. The HKoV is the main force for the defense of the country against external threa ...
(HV) in the
Bosanska Posavina
Posavina ( sr-cyr, Посавина) is a geographical region that stretches along the Sava river, encompassing only the inner areas of the Sava river basin, that are adjacent or near to the Sava river itself, namely catch region spanning from ...
region of northern Bosnia and Herzegovina between 24 June and 6 October 1992. The objective of the offensive was to re-establish a road link between the city of
Banja Luka
Banja Luka ( sr-Cyrl, Бања Лука, ) or Banjaluka ( sr-Cyrl, Бањалука, ) is the List of cities in Bosnia and Herzegovina, second largest city in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the largest city in Republika Srpska. Banja Luka is the tr ...
in the west of the country and the eastern parts of the territory controlled by the
Bosnian Serbs
The Serbs of Bosnia and Herzegovina ( sr-Cyrl, Срби Босне и Херцеговине, Srbi Bosne i Hercegovine), often referred to as Bosnian Serbs ( sr-cyrl, босански Срби, bosanski Srbi) or Herzegovinian Serbs ( sr-cyrl, � ...
. The offensive was prompted by the capture of
Derventa
Derventa ( sr-cyrl, Дервента) is a city in Republika Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is situated in the Posavina region, northwest of the city of Doboj. As of 2013, the town has a total of 11,631 inhabitants, while the municipality has ...
by the HV and the HVO – a move that blocked the single overland road between the VRS-controlled territories.
The VRS successfully captured Derventa and pushed the HVO and the HV north, capturing several towns in the process. In the second phase of the offensive, the VRS reached the
Sava
The Sava, is a river in Central Europe, Central and Southeast Europe, a right-bank and the longest tributary of the Danube. From its source in Slovenia it flows through Croatia and along its border with Bosnia and Herzegovina, and finally reac ...
River, the border with Croatia, and destroyed a bridgehead held by the HV and the HVO at
Bosanski Brod
Brod ( sr-cyr, Брод, ),[The official web site of the municipality](_blank)
, Brod/Брод. forme ...
. The offensive involved more than 60,000 troops and resulted in heavy casualties for all sides, especially the HVO. The Croatian
National Defence Council commissioned a report into the loss of Bosanska Posavina and blamed internal conflicts, a double
chain of command
A command hierarchy is a group of people who carry out orders based on others' authority within the group.
Military chain of command
In a military context, the chain of command is the line of authority and responsibility along which orders ...
and ineffective counterintelligence for the defeat. The outcome later caused speculation that it was the result of a political arrangement between Serb and Croatian leaders to secure a land trade, though a
Central Intelligence Agency
The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA; ) is a civilian foreign intelligence service of the federal government of the United States tasked with advancing national security through collecting and analyzing intelligence from around the world and ...
analysis rejected such allegations.
Background
As the
Yugoslav People's Army
The Yugoslav People's Army (JNA/; Macedonian language, Macedonian, Montenegrin language, Montenegrin and sr-Cyrl-Latn, Југословенска народна армија, Jugoslovenska narodna armija; Croatian language, Croatian and ; , J ...
(''Jugoslovenska narodna armija'' – JNA) withdrew from Croatia following the acceptance and start of implementation of the
Vance plan
The Vance plan (, ) was a peace plan negotiated by the former United States Secretary of State Cyrus Vance in November 1991 during the Croatian War of Independence. At that time, Vance was the Special Envoy of the Secretary-General of the U ...
, its 55,000 officers and soldiers born in Bosnia and Herzegovina were transferred to a new
Bosnian Serb
The Serbs of Bosnia and Herzegovina ( sr-Cyrl, Срби Босне и Херцеговине, Srbi Bosne i Hercegovine), often referred to as Bosnian Serbs ( sr-cyrl, босански Срби, bosanski Srbi) or Herzegovinian Serbs ( sr-cyrl, � ...
army, which was later renamed the
Army of Republika Srpska
The Army of Republika Srpska (; ВРС/VRS), commonly referred to in English as the Bosnian Serb Army, was the military of Republika Srpska, the self-proclaimed Serb secessionist republic, a territory within the newly independent Bosnia and Herz ...
(''Vojska Republike Srpske'' – VRS). This reorganisation followed the declaration of the Serbian Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina on 9 January 1992, ahead of the 29 February – 1 March 1992 referendum on the independence of Bosnia and Herzegovina. This declaration would later be cited by the Bosnian Serbs as a pretext for the
Bosnian War
The Bosnian War ( / Рат у Босни и Херцеговини) was an international armed conflict that took place in Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bosnia and Herzegovina between 1992 and 1995. Following several earlier violent incid ...
. Bosnian Serbs began fortifying the capital,
Sarajevo
Sarajevo ( ), ; ''see Names of European cities in different languages (Q–T)#S, names in other languages'' is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Bosnia and Herzegovina, largest city of Bosnia and Herzegovina, with a population of 2 ...
, and other areas on 1 March. On the following day, the first fatalities of the war were recorded in Sarajevo and
Doboj
Doboj ( sr-Cyrl, Добој, ) is a city in Republika Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is situated on the banks of the Bosna (river), Bosna river, in the northern region of Republika Srpska. As of 2013, it has a population of 71,441 inhabita ...
. In the final days of March, Bosnian Serb forces bombarded
Bosanski Brod
Brod ( sr-cyr, Брод, ),[The official web site of the municipality](_blank)
, Brod/Брод. forme ...
with artillery, drawing a border crossing by the HV 108th Brigade in response. On 4 April, JNA artillery began shelling Sarajevo.
The JNA and the VRS in Bosnia and Herzegovina faced the
Army of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina
The Army of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina (; ; ARBiH), often referred to as Bosnian Army, was the military force of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It was established by the government of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina i ...
(''Armija Republike Bosne i Hercegovine'' – ARBiH) and the
Croatian Defence Council
The Croatian Defence Council (, HVO) was the armed wing of the self-proclaimed Croatian Republic of Herzeg-Bosnia, a breakaway entity unrecognised by the international community and accused of ethnic-based violence during the conflict. It exis ...
(''Hrvatsko vijeće obrane'' – HVO), reporting to the
Bosniak
The Bosniaks (, Cyrillic script, Cyrillic: Бошњаци, ; , ) are a South Slavs, South Slavic ethnic group native to the Southeast European historical region of Bosnia (region), Bosnia, today part of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and who sha ...
-dominated central government and the
Bosnian Croat
The Croats of Bosnia and Herzegovina (), often referred to as Bosnian Croats () or Herzegovinian Croats (), are native to Bosnia and Herzegovina and constitute the third most populous ethnic group, after Bosniaks and Serbs. They are also one of ...
leadership respectively, as well as the HV, which occasionally supported HVO operations. A UN
arms embargo
An arms embargo is a restriction or a set of sanctions that applies either solely to weaponry or also to "dual-use technology." An arms embargo may serve one or more purposes:
* to signal disapproval of the behavior of a certain actor
* to maintain ...
introduced in September 1991, had hampered the preparation of the various forces, but in late April, the VRS was able to deploy 200,000 troops, along with hundreds of
tank
A tank is an armoured fighting vehicle intended as a primary offensive weapon in front-line ground combat. Tank designs are a balance of heavy firepower, strong armour, and battlefield mobility provided by tracks and a powerful engine; ...
s,
armoured personnel carrier
An armoured personnel carrier (APC) is a broad type of armoured military vehicle designed to transport personnel and equipment in combat zones. Since World War I, APCs have become a very common piece of military equipment around the world.
Acc ...
s (APCs) and artillery pieces, while the HVO and the
Croatian Defence Forces
The Croatian Defence Forces ( or HOS) were the paramilitary arm of the Croatian Party of Rights (HSP) from 1991 to 1992, during the first stages of the Yugoslav wars. During the Croatian War of Independence, the HOS organised several early compa ...
(''Hrvatske obrambene snage'' – HOS) could field approximately 25,000 soldiers and a handful of heavy weapons. The ARBiH was largely unprepared, however, lacking heavy weapons and possessing
small arm
A firearm is any type of gun that uses an explosive charge and is designed to be readily carried and operated by an individual. The term is legally defined further in different countries (see legal definitions).
The first firearms originated ...
s for less than half of its force of approximately 100,000 troops. By mid-May 1992, when those JNA units which had not been transferred to the VRS withdrew from Bosnia and Herzegovina to the newly declared
Federal Republic of Yugoslavia
The State Union of Serbia and Montenegro or simply Serbia and Montenegro, known until 2003 as the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and commonly referred to as FR Yugoslavia (FRY) or simply Yugoslavia, was a country in Southeast Europe locate ...
, the VRS controlled approximately 60 percent of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Bosanska Posavina
Area and population

The geographic area in the basin of the Sava River consisted in part or entirely of 15 municipalities: Zenica, Bosanska Gradiška, Srbac, Bosanski Brod, Derventa, Odžak, Modriča, Gradačac, Bosanski Šamac, Orašje, Brčko, Srebrenik, Bijeljina, Lopare, and Ugljevik. Since the 1990s, the use of the term Bosanska Posavina relates almost exclusively for predominantly Croat inhabited areas within the municipalities of Bosanski Brod, Derventa, Odžak, Modriča, Gradačac, Bosanski Šamac, Orašje and Brčko. These municipalities had an area of and were in 1991 inhabited by 319,593 people, of which 133,467 (41.76%) were Croats, 70,907 (22.19%) were Bosniaks, and 88,484 (27.69%) were Serbs. The region was connected with Croatia by four bridges on the Sava River.
Political organization
Following the
1990 parliamentary election, the
Croatian Democratic Union
The Croatian Democratic Union (, , HDZ) is a major conservative, centre-right political party in Croatia. Since 2016, it has been the ruling political party in Croatia under the incumbent Prime Minister Andrej Plenković. It is one of the ...
(HDZ) had a majority in six municipalities of Bosanska Posavina. However, the political situation in the region, especially by the end of 1991, was marked with obstructions by the
Serb Democratic Party (SDS) that established parallel authorities. Throughout 1991, the SDS established six
autonomous regions
An autonomous administrative division (also referred to as an autonomous area, zone, entity, unit, region, subdivision, province, or territory) is a subnational administrative division or internal territory of a sovereign state that has a degree o ...
(SAOs) in Serb-inhabited municipalities of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The
SAO Northern Bosnia, proclaimed in Doboj in November, covered 17 municipalities, including Derventa, Bosanski Brod, Odžak, Bosanski Šamac, Modriča, Gradačac and Orašje. These SAOs were joined into
Republika Srpska
Republika Srpska ( sr-Cyrl, Република Српска, ; also referred to as the Republic of Srpska or Serb Republic) is one of the two Political divisions of Bosnia and Herzegovina, entities within Bosnia and Herzegovina, the other bein ...
on 9 January 1992.
On 12 November 1991, the
Croatian Community of Bosnian Posavina was established in
Bosanski Brod
Brod ( sr-cyr, Брод, ),[The official web site of the municipality](_blank)
, Brod/Брод. forme ...
. It covered eight municipalities: Bosanski Brod, Odžak, Bosanski Šamac, Orašje, Derventa, Modriča, Gradačac and Brčko.
Prelude

Following its successful defence of Bosanski Brod in March, the HVO, reinforced by HV troops, pushed the JNA and the VRS south from the town and captured the towns of
Modriča
Modriča ( sr-cyrl, Модрича) is a town and municipality in Republika Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina. As of 2013 census, the town has a population of 10,137 inhabitants, while the municipality has a population of 25,720 inhabitants.
Hist ...
and
Derventa
Derventa ( sr-cyrl, Дервента) is a city in Republika Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is situated in the Posavina region, northwest of the city of Doboj. As of 2013, the town has a total of 11,631 inhabitants, while the municipality has ...
by the end of May. The capture of Derventa also severed the last road available to the Bosnian Serbs spanning VRS-controlled western
Bosnia
Bosnia and Herzegovina, sometimes known as Bosnia-Herzegovina and informally as Bosnia, is a country in Southeast Europe. Situated on the Balkans, Balkan Peninsula, it borders Serbia to the east, Montenegro to the southeast, and Croatia to th ...
around
Banja Luka
Banja Luka ( sr-Cyrl, Бања Лука, ) or Banjaluka ( sr-Cyrl, Бањалука, ) is the List of cities in Bosnia and Herzegovina, second largest city in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the largest city in Republika Srpska. Banja Luka is the tr ...
and the VRS-held territory in the east of the country, adjacent to Serbia. That prevented the supply of Banja Luka as well as the bulk of the territory gained by the
Republic of Serbian Krajina
The Republic of Serbian Krajina or Serb Republic of Krajina ( sr-Cyrl-Latn, Република Српска Крајина, Republika Srpska Krajina, separator=" / ", ; abbr. РСК / RSK), known as the Serbian Krajina ( sr-Cyrl-Latn, Српск� ...
(RSK) and
Croatian Serb
The Serbs of Croatia ( sh-Cyrl-Latn, separator=" / ", Срби у Хрватској, Srbi u Hrvatskoj) or Croatian Serbs ( sh-Cyrl-Latn, separator=" / ", Хрватски Срби, Hrvatski Srbi) constitute the largest national minority in ...
s in Croatia since the initial phase of the
Croatian War of Independence
The Croatian War of Independence) and (rarely) "War in Krajina" ( sr-Cyrl-Latn, Рат у Крајини, Rat u Krajini) are used. was an armed conflict fought in Croatia from 1991 to 1995 between Croats, Croat forces loyal to the Governmen ...
.
The loss of the road link caused substantial supply problems in Banja Luka and the surrounding area, and resulted in a VRS counterattack against the HVO and HV forces in the area. At the same time, the VRS and the JNA captured Doboj and
Bosanski Šamac
Bosnian may refer to:
*Anything related to the state of Bosnia and Herzegovina or its inhabitants
*Anything related to Bosnia (region) or its inhabitants
* Bosniaks, an ethnic group mainly inhabiting Bosnia and Herzegovina and one of three constit ...
to the east and south of the HVO/HV advance. In June, the VRS 1st Krajina Corps initiated preliminary operations against the HVO/HV-held area around Derventa, attempting to improve VRS positions needed to launch a major attack there. By 20 June, the VRS captured the villages of
Kotorsko
Kotorsko () is a village in the municipality of Doboj
Doboj ( sr-Cyrl, Добој, ) is a city in Republika Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is situated on the banks of the Bosna (river), Bosna river, in the northern region of Republika Srp ...
and
Johovac north of Doboj and achieved the main objective of the preliminary advance.
The deaths of twelve newborn babies in Banja Luka hospital due to a shortage of
incubator
An incubator is anything that performs or facilitates various forms of incubation, and may refer to:
Biology and medicine
* Incubator (culture), a device used to grow and maintain microbiological cultures or cell cultures
* Incubator (egg), a dev ...
bottled oxygen
High altitude breathing apparatus is a breathing apparatus which allows a person to breathe more effectively at an altitude where the partial pressure of oxygen in the ambient atmospheric air is insufficient for the task or to sustain consciou ...
were cited as an immediate cause for the action.
Offensive
Order of Battle
The VRS deployed over 40,000 troops at the beginning of Operation Corridor 92, and the force was increased to 54,660 by the end of the initial phase of the offensive. The VRS tasked the 1st Krajina Corps with the main effort of the offensive, organized into four Tactical Groups, the
16th Krajina Motorized Brigade
The 16th Krajina Motorized Brigade (Serbian: ''16. Крајишка моторизована бригада''; ''16. Krajiška motorizovana brigada)'' was a motorized unit based in Banja Luka part of the 1st Krajina Corps of the Army of Republi ...
, and Operational Group Doboj. The corps and the operation were under command of
General
A general officer is an Officer (armed forces), officer of high rank in the army, armies, and in some nations' air force, air and space forces, marines or naval infantry.
In some usages, the term "general officer" refers to a rank above colone ...
Momir Talić
Momir Talić (15 July 1942 – 28 May 2003) was a Bosnian Serb general in the Yugoslav People's Army and later the Army of Republika Srpska.
Military career
Talić was the Chief of Staff of the JNA 5th Corps in Banja Luka as of 26 July 1991. He w ...
. The RSK also contributed troops to the offensive. A volunteer force of 780 troops, composed of special units of the Ministry of Interior, arrived in June and these forces were commanded directly by the RSK Interior Minister,
Milan Martić
Milan Martić ( sr-Cyrl, Милан Мартић; born 18 December 1954) is a Croatian Serb politician and war criminal who served as the president of the unrecognized Republic of Serbian Krajina, a self-proclaimed state largely populated by Ser ...
.
The HVO and the HV had around 20,000 troops in the region at the outset of the VRS offensive, but the troop levels declined to about 5,000 by month October. Initially, these units were organized into the Operational Group Sava and Operational Group Eastern Posavina. From mid-May they were organised as Operational Group Eastern Posavina, commanded by Colonel Vinko Štefanek, and subordinated to the Slavonian Field Command in
Đakovo
Đakovo (; , , sr-Cyrl, Ђаково) is a town in the region of Slavonia, Croatia. Đakovo is the centre of the fertile and rich Đakovo region ( ).
Etymology
The etymology of the name is the (diákos) in Slavic form đak (pupil). The Hungar ...
commanded by HV
Major General Petar Stipetić
Petar Stipetić (24 October 1937 – 14 March 2018) was a Croatian general who served as the Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Croatia from 2000 until 2002.
Education and service in Yugoslav People's Army
Stipetić was born in ...
. HVO units included the 101st Brod Brigade, 102nd
Odžak
Odžak ( sr-cyrl, Оџак) is a town and municipality located in Posavina Canton of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, an entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is situated in the northern part of Bosnia and Herzegovina, near the river Sa ...
Brigade, 103rd
Derventa
Derventa ( sr-cyrl, Дервента) is a city in Republika Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is situated in the Posavina region, northwest of the city of Doboj. As of 2013, the town has a total of 11,631 inhabitants, while the municipality has ...
Brigade, 104th
Domaljevac-Šamac
Domaljevac-Šamac ( sr-cyrl, Домаљевац-Шамац) is a municipality located in Posavina Canton of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, an entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina. As of 2013, the municipality has a population of 4,771 inhab ...
Brigade, 106th
Orašje
Orašje ( sr-cyrl, Орашје) is a city and the capital of Posavina Canton of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, an entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is situated in the northern part of Bosnia and Herzegovina, on the banks of river ...
Brigade, 107th
Gradačac
Gradačac () is a city located in the Tuzla Canton of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, an entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is situated in the northeastern part of Bosnia and Herzegovina, roughly south of the Sava river. As of 2013, ...
Brigade, 108th
Ravne-Brčko and 109th ARBiH Brigade. The troops also included elements of a large number of HV units: the bulk of the 108th Infantry Brigade based in
Slavonski Brod
Slavonski Brod (, ), commonly shortened to simply Brod, is a city in eastern Croatia, near the border with Bosnia and Herzegovina. Being one of the principal cities in the historical regions of Slavonia and Posavina, Slavonski Brod is the 7th lar ...
, and parts of the 139th Brigade and
3rd Guards Brigade. HV units from Slavonia and central Croatia were also occasionally engaged: fragments of the 109th, 111th, 123rd and 127th Brigades based in
Vinkovci
Vinkovci () is a city in Slavonia, in the Vukovar-Syrmia County in eastern Croatia. The city settlement's population was 28,111 in the 2021 census, while the total population was 30,842, making it the largest town of the county. It is a local tr ...
,
Rijeka
Rijeka (;
Fiume ( �fjuːme in Italian and in Fiuman dialect, Fiuman Venetian) is the principal seaport and the List of cities and towns in Croatia, third-largest city in Croatia. It is located in Primorje-Gorski Kotar County on Kvarner Ba ...
,
Požega and
Virovitica
Virovitica () is a Croatian city near the Hungary, Hungarian border. It is situated near the Drava river and belongs to the historic region of Slavonia. Virovitica has a population of 14,688, with 21,291 people in the municipality (census 2011). I ...
, as well as several
Osijek
Osijek () is the fourth-largest city in Croatia, with a population of 96,848 in 2021. It is the largest city and the economic and cultural centre of the eastern Croatian region of Slavonia, as well as the administrative centre of Osijek-Baranja ...
-based units. Around 200 members of the
Croatian Defence Forces
The Croatian Defence Forces ( or HOS) were the paramilitary arm of the Croatian Party of Rights (HSP) from 1991 to 1992, during the first stages of the Yugoslav wars. During the Croatian War of Independence, the HOS organised several early compa ...
(HOS) were engaged on the front, operating independently or under the command of the 108th HV Brigade. Croat forces mostly acquired weapons from the HV logistics base in Slavonski Brod. On 15 May 1992, the
United Nations
The United Nations (UN) is the Earth, global intergovernmental organization established by the signing of the Charter of the United Nations, UN Charter on 26 June 1945 with the stated purpose of maintaining international peace and internationa ...
issued
resolution 752, demanding the withdrawal of HV units from Bosnia and Herzegovina. As the presence of HV units was constantly objected by foreign observers, on 7 July 1992 the Croatian
Defence Minister
A ministry of defence or defense (see spelling differences), also known as a department of defence or defense, is the part of a government responsible for matters of defence and military forces, found in states where the government is divid ...
Gojko Šušak
Gojko Šušak (; 16 March 1945 – 3 May 1998) was a Croatian politician who held the post of Ministry of Defence (Croatia), Minister of Defence from 1991 to 1998 under President Franjo Tuđman. From 1990 to 1991 he was the Minister of Emigration ...
issued an order that only volunteers could be deployed to Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The VRS leadership estimated the total strength of the opposing forces at around 25,500 troops. In their estimate they included the 110th and 111th Brigades of the HVO from Usora and Žepče, as well as three brigades of the ARBiH from Gradačac, Maglaj and Tešanj. Although these units were not involved in the fighting in Posavina, they tied a part of the VRS forces on their own positions. Besides manpower, the VRS also held an advantage in armaments. While the Croat forces had 47 combat vehicles, 35 of which were tanks (9
T-34
The T-34 is a Soviet medium tank from World War II. When introduced, its 76.2 mm (3 in) tank gun was more powerful than many of its contemporaries, and its 60-degree sloped armour provided good protection against Anti-tank warfare, ...
s, 22
T-55
The T-54 and T-55 tanks are a series of Soviet medium 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 Tanks 1944–2 ...
s and 4
M-84
The M-84 is a Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, Yugoslav main battle tank based on the Soviet T-72. It is still in service with Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Serbia, Slovenia and Kuwait.
Development and production
Development
The ...
s), the VRS had 163 combat vehicles, including three
PT-76
The PT-76 is a Soviet Union, Soviet amphibious vehicle, amphibious light tank that was introduced in the early 1950s and soon became the standard reconnaissance tank of the Soviet Army and the other Warsaw Pact armed forces. It was widely exporte ...
s, 18 T-34s, 71 T-55s and 24 M-84s. The VRS held an advantage in artillery pieces as well.
Timeline

On 24 June, the 1st Krajina Corps of the VRS began the offensive
codename
A code name, codename, call sign, or cryptonym is a code word or name used, sometimes clandestinely, to refer to another name, word, project, or person. Code names are often used for military purposes, or in espionage. They may also be used in ...
d Operation Corridor 92. Its first objective was to break through the HVO and HV-held positions between Modriča and
Gradačac
Gradačac () is a city located in the Tuzla Canton of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, an entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is situated in the northeastern part of Bosnia and Herzegovina, roughly south of the Sava river. As of 2013, ...
, and link up with the East Bosnian Corps. The secondary effort consisted of attacks towards Derventa and Bosanski Brod. The first objective was achieved after two days of heavy combat on 26 June. Afterwards, the VRS advanced towards Modriča and captured the town on 28 June. The secondary advances, facing considerably stiffer resistance by the HVO and the HV, gained little ground.
The second phase of the offensive was launched on 4 July. It comprised VRS advances towards Derventa, Bosanski Brod and
Odžak
Odžak ( sr-cyrl, Оџак) is a town and municipality located in Posavina Canton of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, an entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is situated in the northern part of Bosnia and Herzegovina, near the river Sa ...
, aiming to reach the Sava and thereby the border with Croatia, north of the three towns. Derventa was quickly captured on 4–5 July and the VRS continued to roll back the HVO and the HV troops. On 12 July, the VRS captured Odžak and arrived at the riverside near the town two days later. By that time, VRS troops had advanced , and reached a position within of Bosanski Brod. The HVO and the HV were reduced to a bridgehead around the town.
In August and September, the VRS launched several attacks against the Bosanski Brod bridgehead for little gain. In mid-September, the HVO and the ARBiH deployed near
Brčko
Brčko ) is a city and the administrative seat of Brčko District, in northern Bosnia and Herzegovina. It lies on the banks of Sava river across from Croatia. As of 2013, it has a population of 39,893 inhabitants.
De jure, the Brčko District b ...
, further to the east, attacked the same east–west road the VRS aimed to secure through Operation Corridor 92. The counterattack managed to capture a section of the road south of
Orašje
Orašje ( sr-cyrl, Орашје) is a city and the capital of Posavina Canton of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, an entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is situated in the northern part of Bosnia and Herzegovina, on the banks of river ...
, at the eastern end of the
Brčko corridor
The Brčko corridor (also known as the Serbian corridor, and the Posavina Corridor) is a name used for a narrow strip of land along the southern bank of the Sava river that connected eastern and western part of the Republika Srpska from 1992 to 2 ...
. However, the VRS restored its control of the road quickly thereafter.
Another push against Bosanski Brod was launched on 27 September. The advance initially had moderate success, until 4 October when the VRS rebalanced its forces, changing the sector of the bridgehead against which the 1st Krajina Corps was concentrated. The move managed to disrupt the HVO and HV defences and the VRS achieved a breakthrough, capturing Bosanski Brod on 6 October. In response, the HV and the HVO withdrew their troops and equipment in an orderly fashion, and the bridge spanning the Sava between the town and Slavonski Brod was demolished on 7 October.
Aftermath

In mid-October and early November 1992, the HVO briefly cut the Brčko corridor south of Orašje two more times. In turn, the VRS launched a major offensive against the HVO-held bridgehead at Orašje. After some initial success, the VRS offensive failed and the HVO drove the attacking force back to the positions they had held prior to the advance. Aiming to improve the security of the Brčko corridor, units of the VRS 1st Krajina and East Bosnian Corps turned south of Brčko, and advanced against defences held by the HVO and the ARBiH. That last push widened the Brčko corridor to just 3 kilometres at its narrowest point.
During the offensive, which captured of territory, the VRS and its allies lost 413 troops killed and a further 1,509 wounded. According to Zovak, the HV sustained losses of 343 killed and 1,996 wounded, while the HVO lost 918 killed and 4,254 injured during the fighting that took place in the region between April and October. In the same period, the city of Slavonski Brod came under bombardment from VRS artillery and aircraft. A total of 11,651 artillery shells and fourteen
9K52 Luna-M
The 9K52 ''Luna-M'' (, ; NATO reporting name: Frog-7) is a USSR, Soviet short-range artillery rocket system which fires unguided and Spin-stabilisation, spin-stabilized 9M21 rockets. It was originally developed in the 1960s to provide Division (m ...
rockets were fired against the city, and 130 bombs were dropped from the air, resulting in the deaths of 116 civilians, including 27 children.
At the end of October 1992, the Croatian
National Defence Council commissioned a report into the loss of Bosanska Posavina. It found that the front had a major strategic role in binding strong VRS forces and prevented their detachment to other parts of the country. However, the commission concluded that there was no unified political and military objective in Bosanska Posavina and the defence was burdened by internal conflicts and accusations. It found that the chain of command did not operate as intended, at times commanders at lower levels received instructions without the knowledge of higher command. The counterintelligence agencies were also criticized as ineffective, while rumors about a betrayal had a negative impact on the morale of the army, for which they accused a "
fifth column
A fifth column is a group of people who undermine a larger group or nation from within, usually in favor of an enemy group or another nation. The activities of a fifth column can be overt or clandestine. Forces gathered in secret can mobilize ...
". According to former Croatian prime minister
Josip Manolić
Josip "Joža" Manolić (; 22 March 1920 – 15 April 2024) was a Croatian politician and Communism, communist revolutionary during World War II in Yugoslavia. He served as a high-ranking official of the SFR Yugoslavia, Yugoslav State Security Ad ...
the report "clearly indicated the responsibility of Gojko Šušak, and of his separate military and political lines
f commandon the ground, for the fall of Posavina."
The outcome of the battle shocked the Croatian commander and later resulted in speculation about its cause. Stipetić blamed the 108th Infantry Brigade for the collapse of the Bosanski Brod bridgehead and the failure of the defence. He claimed the brigade had been pulled back from the battlefield by civilian authorities in Slavonski Brod and thought the outcome of the battle was predetermined by the
Graz agreement
The Graz agreement was a proposed agreement made between the Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadžić and the Bosnian Croat leader Mate Boban on 6 May 1992 in the city of Graz, Austria. The agreement publicly declared the territorial division bet ...
of the Bosnian Serb and Bosnian Croat leaders,
Radovan Karadžić
Radovan Karadžić ( sr-Cyrl, Радован Караџић, ; born 19 June 1945) is a Serbs of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bosnian Serb politician who was convicted of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes by the International Criminal ...
and
Mate Boban
Mate Boban (; 12 February 1940 – 7 July 1997) was a Bosnian Croat politician and one of the founders of the Croatian Republic of Herzeg-Bosnia, an unrecognized entity within Bosnia and Herzegovina. He was the first president of Herzeg-Bosnia ...
. General Karl Gorinšek, commander in charge of defending neighboring
Slavonia
Slavonia (; ) is, with Dalmatia, Croatia proper, and Istria County, Istria, one of the four Regions of Croatia, historical regions of Croatia. Located in the Pannonian Plain and taking up the east of the country, it roughly corresponds with f ...
during Posavina's fall, said that the Croatian administration showed no interest in defending Posavina and that he continuously got orders to not take any initiative in defending the territory. Stipetić's view regarding the Graz agreement is echoed by British historian
Marko Attila Hoare
Marko Attila Hoare (born 1972) is a British historian of the former Yugoslavia who also writes about current affairs, especially Southeast Europe, including Turkey and the Caucasus. Hoare is Associate Professor of History at the University Sara ...
, who claims that the area conceded by the Croats during Operation Corridor 92 was traded for western
Herzegovina
Herzegovina ( or ; sh-Latn-Cyrl, Hercegovina, separator=" / ", Херцеговина, ) is the southern and smaller of two main geographical Regions of Bosnia and Herzegovina, regions of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the other being Bosnia (reg ...
. On the other hand, Croatian-American historian James J. Sadkovich, among others, described that view as a
conspiracy theory
A conspiracy theory is an explanation for an event or situation that asserts the existence of a conspiracy (generally by powerful sinister groups, often political in motivation), when other explanations are more probable.Additional sources:
* ...
. While some sources have proposed that the area was traded for the JNA-held
Prevlaka
Prevlaka () is a small peninsula in southern Croatia, near the border with Montenegro, at the entrance to the Bay of Kotor on the eastern Adriatic coast.
Because of its strategic location in the southern Adriatic, in the aftermath of the SFR Y ...
Peninsula near
Dubrovnik
Dubrovnik, historically known as Ragusa, is a city in southern Dalmatia, Croatia, by the Adriatic Sea. It is one of the most prominent tourist destinations in the Mediterranean Sea, Mediterranean, a Port, seaport and the centre of the Dubrovni ...
, a
Central Intelligence Agency
The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA; ) is a civilian foreign intelligence service of the federal government of the United States tasked with advancing national security through collecting and analyzing intelligence from around the world and ...
analysis concluded that there is no direct evidence of such arrangements.
Conversely, Croatian historian Davor Marijan concluded that the battle was too complex for the HV and especially for the HVO. He also pointed out that the HV and HVO suffered from ineffective command structures and poor intelligence, noting that they had failed to detect the presence of the VRS 16th Motorised and the 1st Armoured brigades early on. Marijan also claims the HV had demobilised ten infantry brigades shortly before the battle, and his view is supported by
Colonel General
Colonel general is a military rank used in some armies. It is particularly associated with Germany, where historically General officer#Old European system, general officer ranks were one grade lower than in the Commonwealth and the United States, ...
Novica Simić
Novica Simić (Serbian Cyrillic alphabet, Serbian Cyrillic: Новица Симић; 18 November 1948 – 2 March 2012) was a Serbs of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bosnian Serb military general during the Bosnian War.
In 2022 "March of General Novica ...
, commander of the VRS 16th Motorised Brigade, assigned to Tactical Group 1, which had been established by the 1st Krajina Corps to carry out the offensive.
In 2001–03, three Bosnian Serb officials were tried by 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 in the Yugoslav Wars, war crimes that had been committed during the Yugoslav Wars and to tr ...
for
war crime
A war crime is a violation of the laws of war that gives rise to individual criminal responsibility for actions by combatants in action, such as intentionally killing civilians or intentionally killing prisoners of war, torture, taking hostage ...
s committed after the capture of Bosanski Šamac. The defendants,
Blagoje Simić
Blagoje Simić (born 1 July 1960) is a Bosnian Serb former politician, member of the Serb War Presidency, sentenced by the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) for war crimes during the Bosnian War.
Born in Bosanski Ša ...
,
Miroslav Tadić and
Simo Zarić, were charged with
unlawful arrest
False arrest, unlawful arrest or wrongful arrest is a common law tort, where a plaintiff alleges they were held in custody without probable cause, or without an order issued by a court of competent jurisdiction. Although it is possible to sue ...
, detention, beatings, torture,
forced labour
Forced labour, or unfree labour, is any work relation, especially in modern or early modern history, in which people are employed against their will with the threat of destitution, detention, or violence, including death or other forms of ...
, deportation and
forcible transfer
Forced displacement (also forced migration or forced relocation) is an involuntary or coerced movement of a person or people away from their home or home region. The UNHCR defines 'forced displacement' as follows: displaced "as a result of perse ...
. The three were found guilty, and the convictions upheld in the appeals process. Simić was sentenced to 15 years in prison, while Tadić and Zarić received prison terms of eight and six years respectively.
In 2017,
Azra Bašić
Azra Bašić (; born 22 June 1959) is a Bosniak former camp guard during the Bosnian War. While working in a detention camp near the majority Serb settlements of Čardak near Derventa, Bašić beat, tortured and subjected Serb civilian prisoners ...
was sentenced on 14 years in prison for war crimes against Serb war prisoners in Derventa before the operation.
See also
*
1992 Yugoslav People's Army column incident in Tuzla
The 1992 Yugoslav People's Army column incident in Tuzla, also known as ''Tuzla column'' () was an attack on the 92nd Motorized Brigade of the Yugoslav People's Army (JNA) in the Bosnian city of Tuzla on 15 May 1992. The incident occurred at th ...
*
Sijekovac killings
*
Battle of Orašje
Footnotes
References
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Corridor 92, Operation
Conflicts in 1992
Battles involving Croatia
Military operations of the Bosnian War
1992 in Bosnia and Herzegovina
Army of Republika Srpska
Battles of the Bosnian War
History of Bosanski Brod