Victory Day (Croatia)

Victory Day
Soldiers raising the Flag of Croatia on Knin Fortress, 5 August 2011
Official nameDan pobjede i domovinske zahvalnosti i Dan hrvatskih branitelja
Observed byCroatia
SignificanceOperation Storm
Date5 August
Next time5 August 2025 (2025-08-05)
FrequencyAnnual

Victory and Homeland Thanksgiving Day and the Day of Croatian Defenders (Croatian: Dan pobjede i domovinske zahvalnosti i Dan hrvatskih branitelja) is a public holiday in Croatia that is celebrated annually on 5 August, commemorating the Croatian War of Independence. On that date in 1995 the Croatian Army took the city of Knin during Operation Storm, which effectively brought an end to the Republic of Serbian Krajina proto-state. In 2008, the Croatian Parliament also assigned the name Day of Croatian Defenders (Croatian: Dan hrvatskih branitelja) to the holiday, which honors the current service members and veterans of the Armed Forces of Croatia.