Sarajevo, 1992: Ukrainian peacekeepers

Main information editorial office of Ukrainian Television. Program "Actualna Kamera" of the Creative and Production Association of UTN.

The TV film-reportage "Sarajevo. August 92" is dedicated to the first peacekeeping mission of independent Ukraine during the Yugoslav Wars in the summer of 1992.

In the video: Ukrainian servicemen of the 240th separate special battalion (formed on the basis of the 93rd Guards Motorized Rifle Division of the 6th Guards Tank Army); comments by journalist Mykola Kanyshevsky at the airport, preparation of peacekeepers for departure; cockpit; representatives of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine and the Security Service of Ukraine; Sarajevo sector, headquarters of peacekeeping forces, peacekeepers from different countries discuss the action plan, work with maps; a French volunteer comments on the arrival, the professional qualities of the Ukrainian military, the organization of their daily life and the level of military training; a blitz poll of Ukrainian peacekeepers of the 240th OSB, an appeal to their relatives, comments from people from Crimea; Mykola Kanyshevsky interviews peacekeepers who talk about their combat experience, their hopes and remember their fallen comrades; views of Sarajevo, damaged buildings; a canteen, food for peacekeepers, lunch break; a delegation of military personnel, a working meeting; interviews with Ukrainian peacekeepers.

The film was produced by: Mykola Kanyshevsky, Vyacheslav Stepanenko, Andriy Asin, Valeriy Oleshko, Natalia Benza.

Reference: Participation in the UN mission UNPROFOR in the territory of the former Yugoslavia was the first international peacekeeping operation of independent Ukraine. In July 1992, the 240th separate special volunteer battalion was formed, which carried out tasks of protecting the Sarajevo airport, escorting humanitarian cargo and maintaining peace in the conflict zone; as of August 1992, Ukrainian peacekeepers had already suffered combat losses, had dead and wounded as a result of mortar and sniper fire, continuing to fulfill the UN mandate in conditions of active hostilities.