Border regions faced direct attacks from forces within Serbia and Montenegro . In August 1991 , the Battle of Vukovar began , where fierce fighting took place with around 1,800 Croat fighters blocking JNA 's advance into Slavonia . By the end of October , the town was almost completely devastated from land shelling and air bombardment . The Siege of Dubrovnik started in October with the shelling of UNESCO world heritage site Dubrovnik , where the international press was criticised for focusing on the city 's architectural heritage , instead of reporting the destruction of Vukovar in which many civilians were killed . On 18 November 1991 the battle of Vukovar ended after the city ran out of ammunition . The Ovčara massacre occurred shortly after Vukovar 's capture by the JNA . Meanwhile , control over central Croatia was seized by Croatian Serb forces in conjunction with the JNA Corps from Bosnia and Herzegovina , under the leadership of Ratko Mladić
Ovčara massacre
Vukovar massacre
Yugoslav Wars