▁bl ame ▁was ▁subsequently ▁placed ▁on ▁V r ban ac ▁alone , ▁ultimately ▁ending ▁his ▁military ▁career . ▁Mare k ović , ▁who ▁was ▁expected ▁to ▁succeed ▁Č er ven ko ▁as ▁the ▁Chief ▁of ▁the ▁General ▁Staff , ▁was ▁passed ▁over ▁in ▁favour ▁of ▁General ▁P ava o ▁Mil jav ac ▁when ▁Č er ven ko ▁retired ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 6 . ▁ ▁The ▁off ensive ▁was ▁the ▁only ▁un success ful ▁operation ▁undert aken ▁by ▁the ▁H V ▁since ▁Operation ▁Winter ▁' 9 4 ▁in ▁November ▁ 1 9 9 4 , ▁and ▁was ▁br ushed ▁aside ▁in ▁Cro atia ▁as ▁an ▁aber r ation . ▁It ▁still ▁remained ▁a ▁subject ▁of ▁controvers y ▁in ▁the ▁Cro at ian ▁media . ▁According ▁to ▁Cro at ian ▁historian ▁Dav or ▁Mar ij an , ▁the ▁operation ▁was ▁primarily ▁polit ically ▁motiv ated ▁and ▁hast ily ▁launched ▁in ▁response ▁to ▁Hol bro oke ' s ▁remarks ▁of ▁ 1 7 ▁September . ▁Non eth eless , ▁Mar ij an ▁claims ▁that ▁the ▁attack ▁was ▁based ▁on ▁incorrect ▁intelligence , ▁leading ▁to ▁an ▁under est imation ▁of ▁the ▁V RS ▁def enses ▁by ▁the ▁H V . ▁In ▁addition , ▁the ▁H V ▁over est im ated ▁its ▁own ▁capacity ▁to ▁execute ▁a ▁difficult ▁operation , ▁and ▁neglect ed ▁the ▁condition ▁of ▁the ▁rivers ▁that ▁they ▁intended ▁to ▁cross . ▁The ▁H V ▁never ▁attempted ▁to ▁repeat ▁the ▁crossing , ▁instead ▁choosing ▁to ▁threaten ▁Ban ja ▁Lu ka ▁from ▁a ▁different ▁direction