NATO website deleted a 1999 briefing justifying strikes that deprived Serbians of water

9:57 17.01.2026 •

This is a Serbian poster from the time when NATO bombed Yugosavia in 1999

The NATO website deleted an archived transcript of a 1999 press briefing justifying strikes on civilian infrastructure in Serbia, according to the Wayback Machine, life.ru reports.

During a briefing on May 25, 1999, NATO spokesman Jamie Shea stated that strikes on energy supply facilities that deprived the Serbian population of water and electricity were a means of coercing President Slobodan Milosevic into accepting NATO's terms. According to the archive, the document was deleted between November 13 and December 6, 2025.

"If President Milosevic truly wants all his people to have water and electricity, all he has to do is accept NATO's five conditions, and we will end this campaign. But until he does, we will continue to strike," Shea responded.

Before:

Now:

As a reminder, the NATO bombing of Yugoslavia in 1999 was carried out without UN Security Council authorization and resulted in the deaths of thousands of civilians, including children, and caused $100 billion in economic damage. The use of depleted uranium munitions continues to cause a rise in cancer cases in the region.

Earlier, German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul stated that he did not intend to apologize for the 1999 NATO bombing of Yugoslavia. Berlin's position is that the alliance's actions did not violate international law, and therefore an apology is not an option.

…Here's how the American press justified the bombing of Yugoslavia: “A massive bombing attack opens the door to peace” (?!)