Minister Naď delivers on his promise he made to the next of kin of the victims of the Antonov An-24 tragedy and visits Kosovo along with them

A Slovak delegation led by Defence Minister Jaroslav Naď flew out to Kosovo today, to give the next of kin of the victims of the Slovak Air Force Antonov An-24 aircraft crash a chance to visit the places where their close ones served, and, sadly, never made it back home.

Speaking at the Memorial dedicated to the fallen SVK military and civilian personnel at Camp Shajkovac, Jaroslav Naď said: “I am delivering on the promise I made to all the mourning families and close ones of the victims of the Antonov An-24 tragedy during the remembrance ceremony on Borsó Hill earlier this year. Even though time passes, the pain and the desire to see their loved ones persist. No matter how much we wish them to be here with us, it is not possible. Their loss has forever affected their families, including the military one.”

Jaroslav Naď along with the next of kin and bereaved families, following in the footsteps of the service personnel, paid a visit to Headquarters Kosovo Force (HQ KFOR), based at Camp Film City in Pristina, and the former KFOR base at the village of Shajkovac/Shajkofc, North East Kosovo. “We have shown our respects to them at the places where they served to benefit the peace and security of all people, while helping them without making any differences between them. We honour their service and memory,” the head of the MOD added.

Speaking at today's Slovak Commemoration Ceremony at the Memorial dedicated to the fallen SVK military and civilian personnel at HQ KFOR in Pristina, Maj Gen Ferenc Kajári, Commander of the NATO-led KFOR mission, said: “This tragic event should remind us that peace and security do not come for free, but they demand dedication and sacrifice from us all, sometimes even the ultimate sacrifice! Any soldiers who have taken or are taking part in our mission are our brothers, and we will always remember them.”

42 military personnel (including 3 women and 39 men) died in Slovakia's worst air disaster on 19 January 2006. The Slovak Air Force Antonov An-24 aircraft was carrying the SVK peacekeepers who had finished a six-month tour of duty in NATO's KFOR home when they crashed into Borsó Hill close to the village of Hejce, Hungary. It is there the Ministry of Defence annually holds a remembrance ceremony. Defence Minister Naď decided to declassify the Service Inquiry Report into the Antonov An-24 Accident in 2020, making it available to the public.

Slovak military personnel served in KFOR on a rotational basis for nearly 11 years, from 1999 to 2010. Over the given period, a total of 2004 SVK soldiers – tasked with protecting all ethnic groups, ensuring freedom of movement along the main supply routes, monitoring the situation in the country, and delivering humanitarian aid – rotated in and out of KFOR.

That NATO-led KFOR mission is of great added value even today is best evidenced by the fact that KFOR troops have continually contributed to enhancing peace and security in the country to date.