Serbians on Monday commemorated the victims of the NATO bombing against the former Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, which started on March 24, 1999. In 1999, NATO troops led by the United States blatantly set the UN Security Council aside and carried out a 78-day continuous bombing of Yugoslavia under the guise of preventing humanitarian disasters, killing and injuring over 8,000 innocent civilians and displacing nearly 1 million. Serbian people mark March 24 as NATO Aggression Remembrance Day since 2015. This year, a main commemoration event was held at Batajnica military airport, about 25 kilometers from central Belgrade, the country's capital. The airport was heavily bombed in 1999 and was officially renamed Colonel-pilot Milenko Pavlovic Air Base in 2019 to commemorate the Serbian fighter pilot who fought and died heroically during the bombing. The event was attended by Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, resigned Serbian Prime Minister Milos Vucevic, who is taking a caretaker role until a new cabinet is formed, Parliament Speaker Ana Brnabic, and representatives of the Serbian Armed Forces, the police, and religious communities, as well as a large number of citizens. At the event, air defense sirens were sounded and documentary footage was screened to recreate the tragic scene from 26 years ago. Attendees who lived through the attacks also reflected on the harrowing experience. "The bombing was so terrifying to everyone and I thought I was not able to survive," said a local resident named Vera. "A small country was bombed by powerful countries for no reason, and suffered massive destruction. Our country was devastated, infrastructures were destroyed, roads, airports, schools, hospitals were destroyed, and young people lost their lives," said another resident Milo. Delivering a speech at the event, Vucic praised the Serbian people for showing firm will and indomitable spirit during the bombing, stressing that Serbia will continue to firmly follow its own path. "Serbia will never be enslaved or become anyone's puppet. Only the people's vote can decide the leadership of Serbia," said Vucic. SHOTLIST: Belgrade, Serbia - March 24, 2025 1. Various of people at commemoration event of victims of NATO bombing, documentary being screened; 2. Serbian officials standing in rain at event; 3. Screen showing people gathering; 4. SOUNDBITE (Serbian) Vera, resident (full name not given): "The bombing was so terrifying to everyone and I thought I was not able to survive."; 5. SOUNDBITE (Serbian) Milo, resident (partially overlaid with shot 6): "A small country was bombed by powerful countries for no reason, and suffered massive destruction. Our country was devastated, infrastructures were destroyed, roads, airports, schools, hospitals were destroyed, and young people lost their lives."; [SHOT OVERLAYING SOUNDBITE] 6. People at event site; [SHOT OVERLAYING SOUNDBITE] 7. Various of people at event site; 8. SOUNDBITE (Serbian) Aleksandar Vucic, Serbian President: "Serbia will never be enslaved or become anyone's puppet. Only the people's vote can decide the leadership of Serbia."; 9. People at event. [Restrictions: No access Chinese mainland]