The biggest difference between the situation in Croatia and Ukraine, in my opinion is the geography of the theater.
You have no idea, but not the way you think.
Yuriy Lutsenko, a key advisor to President Poroshenko, wrote on his Facebook page: “An example [for Ukraine] can be Croatia. After the capture of Vukovar by the Yugoslav army, where thousands of [Croatian] defenders of independence died heroically, Croats were forced to accept the existence of Serbska (Serbian) Krajina. For three years, they not only tolerated the temporary losses of territory, but developed the economy and the army. And then in a couple of hours, a tank attack [wiped] the [Serb] separatists from the surface of the earth”
Wrong, he couldn't be more wrong.
Preparations for operation "Storm" started during 1994/95 winter in Bosnia, after agreement with Bosniaks when Croatian Army entered Bosnia and started to take towns in backyard of RSK and Knin.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Winter_%2794
This was first operation to help Bihać pocket by engaging Serb forces in Livno area.
Check the map: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Operation_Winter_94_Leap_1_Leap_2_progress_map.svg
You will notice Livno just behind Knin, capitol of RSK.
Croatian 4. Guards brigade and 7. Guards brigade came to Knin from heights on Dinara taken during Zima 94 operation.
Also, there was operation "Flash" in May of 1995, which liberated another part of Croatia and was kind of rehearsal for operation "Storm".
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Flash
There were other smaller operations, like "Maslenica" or "Medački Džep" which also showed we can take our territory if we go on offensive.
Anyway .... without a lot of training, gaining experience in smaller ops and taking strategic positions in Bosnia, operation "Storm" would be much harder. NATO and US helped a lot, specially US, there was even a drone base on one of the islands and they did bomb Serbs in 1995, both in Bosnia and Croatia.
It's a long story and that's why I always say that Ukraine needs to build its army first, before trying anything.
Also, we kept some 100 000 men in Slavonia region, because that's the only region bordering Serbia and we couldn't risk them trying an offensive there in an attempt to relieve RSK forces on other fronts.
