The Republic of Croatia has completed a large-scale mine clearance process that lasted nearly 31 years after the end of the 1991-1995 War of Independence. This was announced by Interior Minister Davor Božinović.
“Croatia is free of landmines. After almost 30 years, we have completed mine clearance in accordance with the Ottawa Convention,” Božinović declared.
Over the course of three decades, Croatian deminers and international experts have cleared vast areas of mines and unexploded ordnance. In total, approximately 107,000 antipersonnel and antitank mines, as well as over 407,000 other explosive remnants of war, have been discovered and cleared.
The mine clearance process began immediately after the end of hostilities in 1995. At its peak, more than 1,700 square kilometers of territory were considered suspect, primarily in forested and mountainous areas along the former front lines.
The most recent operations were conducted as part of the “Croatian Safe Steps – CROSS II” project, partly funded by the European Union. Final clearance and certification were completed at the end of 2025, and the official declaration of mine-free status took place on March 1, 2026—precisely within the deadline set by the Ottawa Convention.
This success became an important symbol of the completion of the country’s post-war reconstruction and the fulfillment of its international obligations. Croatia became one of the few countries in the former Yugoslavia to fully implement Article 5 of the Ottawa Treaty within the established deadline.
Despite the official completion, authorities remind everyone that, in rare cases, previously unknown explosive objects may be discovered. Therefore, they urge citizens to avoid suspicious objects and to immediately report them to the police or the Mine Action Centre.