Siege of Silistra (June 1773)

In the campaign of 1773, the main theater of operations moved to the Danube. The size of the army of Rumyantsev was increased to 50 thousand people. Having an order to conduct active hostilities, Rumyantsev at the beginning of the campaign made several reconnaissance sorties.

On May 10, 1773, Russian troops under the command of Suvorov secretly crossed the Danube and captured Turtukai fortress ^[1] . At the same time as Suvorov, the Weisman corps crossed the Danube. On May 27, a 12,000-strong Turkish squad defeated this corps near Karasu.

In June 1773, crossed the Danube and headed to Silistria, the main forces of the Rumyantsev army.

On June 18, the Russian army, numbering 20 thousand personnel, besieged Silistria fortress with a garrison of up to 30 thousand people. The Turkish commandant, who received an offer from Rumyantsev to surrender, replied that "the Russians will not receive a single stone and not a single nail in Silistra ."

To the rescue of the Turkish garrison, 30 thousandth Turkish army under the command of Numan Pasha advanced to Silistra. Against the approaching Turkish troops, Rumyantsev sent the 5,000th corps of Baron Otto Weisman , who defeated the Turks at Kanaraja on June 22, but General Weisman himself died during the battle.

Despite success, Rumyantsev, assessing the size of the Turkish garrison and fortifications, decided to withdraw troops back beyond the Danube. On June 30, Russian troops returned to the left bank.

• [one]