August the 5th, 2026 – As we mark the 31st anniversary of one of the most important events in modern Croatian history, we remember the thousands of defenders who fought for freedom. That includes three young Croatian soldiers of the 4th Guards Brigade who tragically lost their lives in the very final hours of Operation Storm.
Ivan Svalina, Stipan Dundović, and Miroslav Vođera all lost their lives killed on the 5th of August, 1995, in a small hamlet not far from Golubić, as Croatian forces advanced toward Knin and the final victory of Operation Storm. Their deaths came on the very day when the operation was reaching its historic conclusion, a reminder that even in the final moments of victory, Croatian soldiers continued to face fierce fighting and sacrifice.
The Final Battle Near Knin
Ante Brekalo, commander of the 2nd Company of the 2nd Battalion of the 4th Guards Brigade, led the advance across Dinara toward Knin. When his unit reached Golubić, they encountered very strong resistance.
“I was honoured to have such men in my company, men I could lead,” Brekalo later recalled. He said the three young soldiers lost their lives during intense close combat. Miroslav Vođera, who had previously served in the Yugoslav Army before joining the Croatian Army, was killed near a house during the fighting. His fellow soldier Ivica Bošnjak remembered him as a true example of what a soldier should be.
“His life ended only a few hours before it was announced that everything was free,” Bošnjak said. He also recalled the intensity of the battle, describing how fighting continued with gunfire and grenades exchanged between the two sides. Vođera, he said, attempted to call for surrender but was killed while trying to enter the building.
Remembering Young Comrades
Miro Moro was among those who discovered the bodies of Stipan Dundović and Ivan Svalina. These three soldiers were only 20, 22, and 23 years old. Moro, who had witnessed many difficult moments during the war, said that this particular memory remained especially painful. He especially remembered Svalina, a young man from his own village.
“That was a child from my village. That morning I saw him with a smile on his face,” Moro recalled. Svalina had joined the unit as a teenager, and his commanders remembered him as a cheerful, friendly and very dependable soldier. Brekalo described him as someone who always helped others and inspired confidence among his fellow soldiers. “He was a true fighter who never, ever left anyone behind,” he said.
A Tradition of Remembrance
Every year on the anniversary of Operation Storm, veterans gather at the site where the three soldiers fell, where a memorial has been built in their honour. Veterans from across the region, including Zadar, Split, Sinj, Imotski, Šibenik, and parts of neighbouring Bosnia and Herzegovina, come together to remember them.
They also honour other fallen defenders from those final days, including Dražen Kuduz, who died in an accident on the approach to Knin on the same day. “They will never be forgotten for as long as we’re alive,” said Josip Bebek, president of the Association of Veterans of the 4th Guards Brigade in Šibenik-Knin County.
A Legacy That Lives On
In Crivac, the hometown of Ivan Svalina, the memory of their youngest fallen soldier remains especially strong.
Around 150 residents of the small village joined the Homeland War, almost half of the local population at the time. Svalina was the youngest from the village to lose his life. His sister Marija Vučić said losing him left a permanent emptiness. She and her other sister also served during the war, spending four years on front lines across Croatia, from Zadar to Dubrovnik. A monument dedicated to Ivan Svalina was unveiled in the centre of the village last year, created by sculptor Petar Melvan. His fellow soldiers plan to visit it every year in remembrance.
For those who knew them, Ivan Svalina, Stipan Dundović, and Miroslav Vođera represent more than names from history, they are remembered as young men whose courage and sacrifice became part of Croatia’s story of independence. The Municipality of Muć also plans to open a memorial room this autumn dedicated to all those from the area who lost their lives during the Homeland War and Croatia’s fierce struggle for independence.
