In Sinj, the Day of Victory, Thanksgiving, and Croatian Defenders was solemnly marked, along with the 31st anniversary of the military-police operation Oluja. The commemoration began with the laying of wreaths and the lighting of candles at the bust of Gojko Šušak, followed by the central ceremony at the Croatian Defenders' Memorial Park. Wreaths were also laid and candles lit at the memorial for fallen Croatian defenders.
The wreaths were laid by Deputy Mayor Denis Boba and the President of the City Council, Marija Gaurina, with representatives of various associations present, including the Association of Parents and Widows of Fallen Defenders, police associations, and representatives of the local branches of the HS, HDZ, and SDP. The Croatian Anthem was performed by the City Band of Sinj, and the prayer was led by Parish Priest Fr. Antonio Mrva. Deputy Mayor Boba addressed the assembled crowd on behalf of the City Administration, Mayor Mario Bulj, and himself.
In Knin, the Day of Victory, Thanksgiving, and Croatian Defenders was marked by President Zoran Milanović, who wished everyone well and welcomed the high-ranking officials, Croats in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Croats abroad. The President stated that he addressed the crowd as a defender since 2012, emphasizing that the war was a shared war of brothers in arms.
The President stated that the Croatian people in Bosnia and Herzegovina had endured an unprovoked, imposed, and difficult war without verbal or material assistance, and that the peace process in Bosnia and Herzegovina was signed following the intervention of the Croatian Army, agreed upon with American allies. "There would have been no Dayton without the Croatian Army," President Milanović stated, recalling the key role of the HVO in the conclusion of the conflict. In Sveti Martin, the Day of Victory and Thanksgiving, along with the anniversary of Operation Storm, was celebrated solemnly, while in Čačinci, the Day of Victory and Thanksgiving was marked with the laying of a wreath and the lighting of candles.
