Southern Flank D+24 (2 August, 1987) Part II

0500-1230 Zulu- As the tactical nuclear exchange in Europe and its aftermath gripped world attention through the rest of the morning and early afternoon and the fate of the entire world seemed to hang in the balance, the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia was motoring obliviously towards final dissolution.  Croatia and Bosnia-Herzegovina had already declared …

The Southern Flank D+17 (26 July, 1987) Part I

From the NATO perspective, conditions on the Southern Flank were leaning in favor of the alliance. The successful attacks by US carrier aircraft on the Soviet amphibious group off the coast of Bulgaria had removed the threat of a Pact landing at the Bosphorus from the board. Meanwhile, the Pact offensive into Thrace was making …

The Southern Flank D+11 (20 July, 1987) Part I

Right before the morning briefing got underway, Southwestern TVD (SWTVD) commander General Ivan Gerasimov took a call from Marshal of the Soviet Union Sergei Akhromeyev, Chief of the General Staff in Moscow. Akhromeyev ordered him to be in Moscow by midnight and to bring with him the plans for the next phase of operations in …