For several years now, a photo of the shell has been distributed over the network, made, as claimed, in 1999 during Belgrade's bombing. In the inscription placed on the bomb, many commentators see the proof of the cynicity of the military NATO. We checked the correctness of such a description.
It is reported that in March - June 1999, NATO forces, as part of the bombing of the territory of Yugoslavia, used shells with the inscription "Happy Easter." As evidence, a photograph of one of these bombs is given.
The fact that the military pilots during the NATO operation in Yugoslavia applied the inscription "Happy Easter" on bombs in 2019 at a meeting of the constant council of the OSCE declared The representative of the Russian Federation in this organization Alexander Lukashevich. The “congratulatory” message is also mentioned in the brochure of “military crimes of NATO countries in the territory of the former Yugoslavia”, placed On the website of the Russian Embassy in South Africa, and the photo Published On his Facebook page, the Russian diplomatic mission in Israel.
In different years, Russian media reported about such inscriptions on shells dropped in Yugoslavia ("News","Tsargrad"), Religious and educational sites ("Orthodoxy.ru") And authors of journalistic publications. In Telegram, a photo with a bomb distributed channels such as "South Live"(287,000 views at the time of writing this analysis),"Camera"(218 000),"Unofficial Bezosonov"(195 000),"Signal"(152 000) and"Youth"(141 000).
The Armed Forces of the North Atlantic Alliance began the massive bombing of Yugoslavia on March 24, 1999. The reason for the operation They called it war in Kosovo, during which Belgrade allowed Ethnic purges in relation to the civilian population of this autonomy, as well as the “exhaustion of diplomatic capabilities” after negotiations in France in February-March. At the same time, NATO troops Not received permission of the UN Security Council to use force, which caused Criticism Secretary General of the organization Kofi Annan. In his very statement, however, many saw the support of military pressure on Belgrade in this situation.
NATO bombing, ending in June 1999, led to numerous destruction and victims among the population of Yugoslavia. Human Rights Human Rights Watch gives a figure of 528 killed civilians, the American military command - in 1500, and the local authorities declared more than 5700 dead civilians. Confirmed that in attacks Used Shells with impaired uranium and cassette bombs.
The bombs dropped in Yugoslavia with the inscription “Happy Easter” (“Happy Easter” - English) in Russian sources spoke back in the same 1999. So, during the communication with the press mentioned Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus' Alexy II. Then This statement start spread By Russian -speaking publications, Separate mention There are also some foreign Orthodox sites. At the same time, “verified” could not find confirmation of this information in authoritative foreign sources - it seems that it spread mainly through the Russian media.
In 1999 Orthodox Easter fell on April 11, Catholic - On April 4. This contradicts the statements from some viral posts that a photo of the bomb with congratulations was taken on March 24. At the same time in Dates Celebrations in 1999 took place bombing Yugoslavia.
Having completed the reverse in Google search on viral photography with a bomb, you can find out among others publication On the site F-100.org. This resource has existed since the late 1990s and has been dedicated to the American fighter F-100 Super Sabre, stood In service with the US Air Force until 1980. Next to a familiar photograph of the shell, you can see another one, similar. The author of both indicates Stephen Parjeter.
In 2023, a picture of viral posts was used At the exhibition as part of the round table, which was held in the Moscow House of the Russian Historical Society and the anniversary of NATO aggression against Yugoslavia.
Journalists of the Serbian Service "Radio Liberty" Contacted With the creator of the F-100.org website, Michael Benolkin, who said that the air bomb with the inscription “Happy Easter” was photographed on the American military base in South Vietnam between 1967 and 1970. According to the website of the US Aviation Museum, indicated in Signatures under the photograph of the bomb M117 was used during War in Vietnam (1954–1975) and operations "Storm in the desert"(1991).
Journalists also turned to the NATO military representative office in Belgrade. “The aforementioned image was taken from the American photo archive, which contains photographs of the US military activity in Vietnam in the past,” the representative office responded. The spread of other information about this picture was called a deliberate lie.
After that, journalists Radio Liberty Turned The Fund for the Study of Democracy, which participated in the preparation of the exhibition. Foundation President Maxim Grigoryev thanked the correspondents for the “improvement” of the exhibition and said that the photograph was deleted from the exhibition and replaced by a picture of the bombing of the Yugoslav cities. He confirmed that the remote photo was presented at the stand with a comment that NATO used just such bombs during bombing. Note that since 2022, Grigoryev has been under sanctions Canada as a Russian disinformation agent.
Thus, the photo of the American bomb with the inscription "Happy Easter" was taken long before 1999, during the Vietnam War, and has nothing to do with the bombing of Yugoslavia.
Photo on the cover: social networks
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