Operation Winter ' 94 Operation Winter ' 94 ( ) was a joint military offensive of the Croatian Army ( HV ) and the Croatian Defence Council ( HVO ) fought in southwestern Bosnia and Herzegovina between 29 November and 24 December 1994 . The operation formed part of the Croatian War of Independence and the Bosnian War fought between Bosnia and Herzegovina , Croatia and two unrecognized para - states proclaimed by Croatian Serbs and Bosnian Serbs . Both para - states were supported by the Yugoslav People ' s Army ( JNA ) and Serbia . The JNA pulled out in 1992 , but transferred much of its equipment to the Bosnian Serb and Croatian Serb forces as it withdrew . Operation Winter ' 94 was the first in a series of successful advances made by the HV and the HVO in or near the Livanjsko field , an elongated flat - bottomed valley surrounded by hills . The region was formally controlled by the HVO , but the HV contributed a substantial force , including commanding officers . The attacks were primarily designed to draw the Army of Republika Srpska ( VRS ) away from the besieged city of Bihać . The secondary objective was threatening the single direct supply route between Drvar in the Bosnian Serb Republika Srpska and Knin , the capital of the Croatian Serb Republic of Serbian Krajina ( RSK ) . Operation Winter ' 94 pushed back the front line of the VRS by about , capturing much of the Livanjsko field . The attack failed to achieve its primary objective but it brought the Croatian forces within striking distance of the Drvar – Knin road . Operation Winter ' 94 was followed by Operation Leap 1 ( " Operacija Skok 1 " ) on 7 April 1994 , which improved HV positions on Mount Dinara on the southern rim of the field , dominating the area around the RSK capital . The Croatian forces renewed their advance with Operation Leap 2 between 4 and 10 June , allowing them to directly threaten Bosansko Grahovo on the Drvar – Knin road , and to secure the remainder of the valley . The improved Croatian dispositions around Livanjsko field provided a springboard for further offensive action on this front during Operation Summer ' 95 . Background . Following the 1990 electoral defeat of the government of the Socialist Republic of Croatia , ethnic tensions grew . The Yugoslav People ' s Army ( " Jugoslovenska Narodna Armija " – JNA ) confiscated Croatia ' s Territorial Defence ( " Teritorijalna obrana " ) weapons to minimize resistance . On 17 August , the tensions escalated into an open revolt by Croatian Serbs , centred on the predominantly Serb - populated areas of the Dalmatian hinterland around Knin , parts of the Lika , Kordun , Banovina and eastern Croatia . This was followed by two unsuccessful attempts by Serbia , supported by Montenegro and Serbia ' s provinces of Vojvodina and Kosovo to obtain the Yugoslav Presidency ' s approval of a JNA operation to disarm Croatian security forces in January 1991 . After a bloodless skirmish between Serb insurgents and Croatian special police in March , the JNA , supported by Serbia and its allies , asked the federal Presidency declare a state of emergency and grant the JNA wartime powers . The request was denied on 15 March , and the JNA came under control of Serbian President Slobodan Milošević . Milošević , preferring a campaign to expand Serbia rather than preservation of Yugoslavia , publicly threatened to replace the JNA with a Serbian army and declared that he no longer recognized the authority of the federal Presidency . By the end of March , the conflict had escalated into the Croatian War of Independence . The JNA stepped in , increasingly supporting the Croatian Serb insurgents and preventing Croatian police from intervening . In early April , the leaders of the Croatian Serb revolt declared their intention to integrate the area under their control with Serbia . The Government of Croatia viewed this declaration as an attempt to secede . In May , the Croatian government responded by forming the Croatian National Guard ( " Zbor narodne garde " – ZNG ) , but its development was hampered by a United Nations ( UN ) arms embargo introduced in September . On 8 October , Croatia declared independence from Yugoslavia , and a month later the ZNG was renamed the Croatian Army ( " Hrvatska vojska " - HV ) . Late 1991 saw the fiercest fighting of the Croatian War of Independence , culminating in the Siege of Dubrovnik and the Battle of Vukovar . A campaign of ethnic cleansing then began in the RSK , and most non - Serbs were expelled . In January 1992 , an agreement to implement the peace plan negotiated by UN special envoy Cyrus Vance was signed by Croatia , the JNA and the UN . As a result , the United Nations Protection Force ( UNPROFOR ) deployed to maintain the ceasefire , and the JNA was scheduled to retreat to Bosnia and Herzegovina , where further conflict was anticipated . Despite the peace arrangement requiring an immediate withdrawal of JNA personnel and equipment from Croatia , it remained on Croatian territory for seven to eight months . When its troops eventually withdrew , the JNA left its equipment to the Army of the Republic of Serb Krajina ( ARSK ) . The January ceasefire also allowed the JNA to maintain its positions in East and West Slavonia that were on the brink of military collapse following a Croatian counteroffensive , which reclaimed 60 % of the JNA - held territory in West Slavonia by the time the ceasefire went into effect . However , Serbia continued to support the RSK . The HV restored small areas around Dubrovnik to Croatian control and during Operation Maslenica it recaptured some areas of Lika and northern Dalmatia . Croatian population centres continued to be intermittently targeted by artillery , missiles and air raids throughout the war . On 9 January 1992 , a Bosnian Serb state was declared , ahead of the 29 February1 March referendum on the independence of Bosnia and Herzegovinalater cited as a pretext for the Bosnian War ) . The Bosnian Serb state was later renamed Republika Srpska . As the JNA withdrew from Croatia it started to transform into a Bosnian Serb army , handing over its weapons , equipment and 55 , 000 troops . The process was completed in May , when the Bosnian Serb army became the Army of Republika Srpska ( " Vojska Republike Srpske " – VRS ) . It was faced by the Croatian Defence Council ( HVO ) , established in April , and the Bosnia and Herzegovina TOrenamed the Army of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina ( " Armija Republike Bosne i Hercegovine " – ARBiH ) in May . Formal establishment of these forces was preceded by the first armed clashes in the country as the Bosnian Serbs set up barricades in Sarajevo and elsewhere on 1 March and the situation rapidly escalated . Bosnian Serb artillery began shelling Bosanski Brod by the end of March , and Sarajevo was first shelled on 4 April . By the end of 1992 , the VRS held 70 % of Bosnia and Herzegovina , following a large - scale campaign of conquest and ethnic cleansing backed by military and financial support from the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia . The Bosnian War gradually evolved into a three - sided conflict . The initial ARBiH – HVO alliance soon deteriorated as the forces became rivals for control of parts of the country . Ethnic tensions escalated from apparently insignificant harassment in July , to an open Croat – Bosniak War by October 1992 . The Bosnian Croat authorities , organized in the Herzeg - Bosnia territory , were intent on attaching the region to Croatia . This was incompatible with Bosniak aspirations for a unitary state . Prelude . In November 1994 , the Siege of Bihać entered a critical stage as the VRS and the ARSK came close to capturing the town from the Bosniak - dominated ARBiH . Bihać was seen as a strategic area by the international community . It was thought that its capture by Serb forces would intensify the war , widening the division between the United States on one side and France and the United Kingdom on the other ( advocating different approaches to the area ' s preservation ) , and feared that Bihać would become the worst humanitarian disaster of the war . Furthermore , denying Bihać to the Serbs was strategically important to Croatia . Brigadier General Krešimir Ćosić expected the VRS and the ARSK would threaten Karlovac and Sisak once they captured Bihać , while Chief of Croatia ' s General Staff General Janko Bobetko believed the fall of Bihać would represent an end to Croatia ' s war effort . Following a US military strategy endorsed by President Bill Clinton in February 1993 , the Washington Agreement was signed in March 1994 . This ended the Croat – Bosniak War , abolished Herzeg - Bosnia , established the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and forged the ARBiH – HVO alliance against the VRS . In addition , a series of meetings between US and Croatian officials were held in Zagreb and Washington , D . C . In November 1994 , the United States unilaterally ended the arms embargo against Bosnia and Herzegovinain effect allowing the HV to supply itself as arms shipments flowed through Croatia . In a meeting held on 29 November 1994 , Croatian representatives proposed to attack Serb - held territory from Livno in Bosnia and Herzegovina to draw off part of the force besieging Bihać and prevent its capture by the Serbs . U . S . officials made no response to the proposal . Operation Winter ' 94 was ordered the same day ; it was to be carried out by the HV and the HVOthe main military forces of the Bosnian Croats . Operation Winter ' 94 became feasible after the HVO captured Kupres ( north of the Livanjsko field ) in Operation Cincar on 3 November 1994 , securing the right flank of the planned advance northwest of Livno . The HVO and the ARBiH advanced towards Kupres , in the first military effort coordinated between them since the Washington Agreement . Order of battle . The HV deployed up to 9 , 000 troops on rotation through the area during the Operation Winter ' 94 , keeping approximately 3 , 000 – 4 , 000 troops on the ground at any time , and the HVO fielded an additional 2 , 000 – 3 , 000 . The defending force of the VRS 2nd Krajina Corps consisted of about 3 , 500 soldiers , spread along the front line . The Bosnian Serb defenders were commanded by Colonel Radivoje Tomanić . The attacking force was nominally controlled by the HVO , with Major General Tihomir Blaškić in overall command of the attack . The HV General Staff appointed Major General Ante Gotovina as commander of the Split Corps and commanding officer of the HV units . The Croatian forces were organized into operational groups ( OG ) . OG Sinj was located on the left flank ( on Croatian soil ) , OG Livno in the centre and OG Kupres on the right flank of the attack in Bosnia and Herzegovina . OG Kupres mainly consisted of HVO units , while the bulk of the OG Sinj and OG Livno was made up of HV troops . Timeline and results . Operation Winter ' 94 began on 29 November 1994 in heavy snow and temperatures of . One hundred and thirty soldiers from the HV 126th Home Guard Regiment commanded by Brigadier Ante Kotromanović infiltrated behind VRS positions on the left flank of the front line ( head of the initial north - west advance along the Livanjsko field and Mount Dinara , with most of the HV troops commanded by Gotovina against the VRS 9th Light Infantry Brigade . By 3 December , the advance gained around Donji Rujani , followed by a brief stabilization of the newly established line of contact . The advance was resumed on 6 December as the HV 4th Guards Brigade and the 126th Home Guard Regiment gradually pushing back the VRS 9th Light Infantry Brigade towards Bosansko Grahovo . In more than a week of gradual advance , the force penetrated the VRS defences by in the general direction of Bosansko Grahovo . The HVO units on the right flank of the attack made little progress towards Glamoč , and were faced with a determined VRS defence . By 11 December , the VRS 9th Light Infantry Brigade had sustained losses sufficient to demoralize the unit , further complicating the battlefield situation for the VRS as the civilian population began to leave Glamoč . The civilian evacuation was nearly complete by 16 December ; on that day valuables were removed from churches and monasteries in the VRS - held territory near the front line , although there was no immediate threat to them . On 23 December , the Croatian forces reached Crni Lug at the northwest rim of the Livanjsko field , forcing the VRS 9th Light Infantry Brigade to withdraw to more defensible positions . On 24 December , the VRS withdrawal was complete and the operation ended . In response to the reversals they had suffered , the VRS brought two brigades and two battalions from the 1st Krajina Corps , the Herzegovina Corps and the East Bosnian Corps to secure its defences in the Glamoč and Bosansko Grahovo areas and encourage civilians to return . After nearly a month of fighting , the Croatian forces had advanced by about and had captured approximately of territory northwest of Livno . The VRS had been pushed back to a line approximately south - east of Bosansko Grahovo . The HV and the HVO sustained losses of 29 killed , 19 seriously wounded and 39 slightly injured troops . Three soldiers were captured by the VRS , but they were later released in a prisoner - of - war exchange . In a report following Operation Winter ' 94 , the VRS 2nd Krajina Corps reported serious manpower shortages and 20 % casualties . After the operation , ARSK deployed to Glamoč and Bosansko Grahovo area to assist the VRS in continued skirmishes against the Croatian forces in the area . Croatian troops retained most of the ground , representing a salient to the north - west of Livno , gained during the winter offensive . The lull in fighting continued until mid - March 1995 . Follow - up operations . Operation Leap 1 . Operation Leap 1 ( also known as Operation Jump 1 ) ( " Operacija Skok 1 " ) was designed to widen the salient and allow he Croatian forces to advance towards Bosansko Grahovo . By spring 1995 , relatively small shifts of the line of control west of the Livanjsko field enabled the VRS and the ARSK to threaten the HV positions on Dinara and Staretina mountains . Gotovina was concerned that the salient established by the HV and the HVO in Operation Winter ' 94 was too small and was vulnerable to counterattacks by the VRS and the ARSK . To create the necessary preconditions for the upcoming push , elements of the HV 4th Guards Brigade and the 126th Home Guard Regiment advanced approximately over Dinara . The 4th Guards Brigade captured the strategic Presedla and Jankovo Brdo peaks on 14 – 18 March ; the 126th Home Guards Regiment protected its flank , advancing through areas around the Croatia – Bosnia and Herzegovina border that were previously controlled by the ARSK . Gotovina defined several objectives for Operation Leap 1 : the capture of more favourable positions , allowing the approach to ARSK - held positions around Kijevo where a strategic mountain pass is located , and Cetina west of Dinarawhere ARSK artillery positions were located ; securing the left flank of the force on Dinara ; preventing ARSK attacks from that direction , and regaining positions lost during the winter of 1994 – 1995 . The operation was scheduled to allow a HV advance in two steps of each , over a period of one to two days . Operation Leap 1 took place on 7 April 1995 . The HV 7th Guards Brigade relieved the 4th Guards Brigade and advanced for about , pushing the VRS defences along a - wide front line and capturing approximately of territory . This one - day operation moved the front linefrom which the VRS 9th Light Infantry Brigade had intermittently mounted attacks during the previous three monthsnorth - west , and put the HV within easy reach of Uništa one of the few passes over Dinara . A secondary objective of the operation was also achieved ; the salient created during Operation Winter ' 94 was extended towards Bosansko Grahovo and stabilized . The 126th Home Guard Regiment protected the left flank of the 7th Guards Brigade axis of advance , engaging in several skirmishes . Operation Leap 2 . Operation Leap 2 , or Operation Jump 2 ( " Operacija Skok 2 " ) was a joint operation of the HV and the HVO aimed primarily at capturing the main mountain pass out of the Livanjsko field on the Livno - Bosansko Grahovo road , and the high ground overlooking Glamoč , to give the Croatian forces good positions from which to advance further into VRS - held territory . It was thought that the attack might also force the VRS to withdraw some of its forces that had been attacking the Orašje pocket since May . Gotovina planned a two - stage , two - pronged advance towards the main objectives and an auxiliary attack on ARSK - held territory south - west of the salient . In the first stage of the operation , the attacking forces were tasked with capturing the village of Crni Lug and the southern part of the pass , while the second stage was planned to capture the Mount Šator and the Crvena Zemlja ridge to the north , blocking the Bosansko Grahovo - Glamoč road and making Glamoč difficult to resupply . The Croatian forces fielded approximately 5 , 000 troops , spearheaded by the HV 4th Guards Brigade and supported by the 1st Croatian Guards Brigade ( " 1 . hrvatski gardijski zdrug " - HGZ ) , the 1st Battalion of the 1st Guards Brigade , the 3rd Battalion of the 126th Home Guard Regiment of the HV , the HVO 3rd Guards Brigade and the Bosnian Croat special police . The opposing forces comprised approximately 3 , 000 troops in three light infantry brigades of the VRS 2nd Krajina Corps and a 500 - strong ARSK composite " Vijuga " battlegroup , assembled by the ARSK 7th North Dalmatian Corps . The " Vijuga " battlegroup was deployed with elements of the ARSK 1st Light Infantry Brigade in the Croatia - Bosnia and Herzegovina border zone on Dinara . The VRS formations consisted of the 3rd and the 9th Light Infantry Brigades in the Bosansko Grahovo area and the 5th Light Infantry Brigade in the Glamoč zone . The reinforcements that had been sent to the area in the aftermath of Operation Winter ' 94 were broken up and used to reinforce the VRS brigades . Operation Leap 2 began on 4 June with the advance of the HV 4th Guards Brigade . HVO troops took Crni Lug and the mountain pass en route to Bosansko Grahovo , the operation ' s chief objective . Its left flank , in the border area , was protected by the 3rd Battalion of the 126th Home Guard Regiment and the Tactical Sniper Company attached to the HV Split Corps . The VRS counterattacked on 6 – 7 June , trying to roll back the 4th Guards Brigade . The VRS push failed , as did its efforts to contain the advance with close air support and M - 87 Orkan rockets . On 6 June ( the same day as the VRS counterattack ) , the second phase of Operation Leap 2 began . The 1st Battalion of the 1st Guards Brigade supported by the HV 264th Reconnaissance Sabotage Company and elements of the HV 1st HGZ advanced north from Livno , capturing the high ground near Glamoč and blocking the Bosansko Grahovo - Glamoč road by 10 June . To pin down the VRS on the right flank of the attack , the HVO 2nd Guards Brigade attacked VRS positions on Golija Mountain south - west of Glamoč . Operations Leap 1 and 2 improved the positions of the Croatian forces east and west of the Livanjsko field , and brought Bosansko Grahovo and Glamoč within striking distance . The advance secured the valley , threatened Glamoč and brought the Bosansko Grahovo - Glamoč road , the Cetina valley and the Vrlika field within Croatian artillery range . The Croatian forces sustained losses of 4 killed , 15 seriously wounded and 19 slightly injured during Operations Leap 1 and 2 . Aftermath . Gotovina said that although Operations Winter ' 94 , Leap 1 and Leap 2 were planned and executed as three distinct operations , they represent a unified military action . Operation Winter ' 94 ostensibly failed to achieve its primary objective of relieving pressure on the Bihać pocket by drawing off VRS and ARSK forces to contain the attack ; however , that was due to a decision by Chief of VRS General Staff General Ratko Mladić and not to mistakes in planning or execution . Faced with a choice between continuing with the attack on Bihać and blocking the advance from the Livanjsko field , the VRS chose not to move its forces , but Bihać was successfully defended by the 5th Corps of the ARBiH . The secondary objective of Operation Winter ' 94 was achieved more easily ; the Croatian forces approached the Knin - Drvar road and directly threatened the main supply route between the Republika Srpska and the RSK capital . Operations Leap 1 and 2 built on the achievements of Operation Winter ' 94 , threatened Bosansko Grahovo and created conditions to isolate Knin in Operation Summer ' 95 , which was executed the following month . The advance was strategically significant ; Mladić ' s decision not to react to Operation Winter ' 94 was a gamble which ultimately cost the Republika Srpska territory extending to Jajce , Mrkonjić Grad and Drvar and brought about the destruction of the RSK as the advances of the Croatian forces paved the way for Operation Storm .