Patriotic songs were played early in the morning at the start of commemorative events in Knin, followed by wreath-laying ceremonies and the central ceremony at the city stadium and the medieval fortress overlooking the city in the Dalmatian hinterland.
Church bells were rung, the names of the people killed or gone missing in the operation were read out, gun salutes were fired and the highest state officials held commemorative speeches.
The central ceremony ended with a flyby of MiG21 jets, which provided support to the land forces in Operation Storm and whose era ended today, and the newly procured Rafale fighter jets.
The commemorative events included a demonstration exercise by members of the Croatian army and police forces.
Former members of the Croatian Defence Force (HOS) this year again came to Knin to pay tribute to fellow fighters killed in the Homeland War, headed by their commander Marko Skejo. They laid a wreath at the central memorial in the city centre, paying tribute to "those who gave their lives for Croatia" with the salute "For the homeland ready".