The siege of Ochakov was carried out by the

Zaporozhian Cossacks The Zaporozhian Cossacks (in Latin ''Cossacorum Zaporoviensis''), also known as the Zaporozhian Cossack Army or the Zaporozhian Host (), were Cossacks who lived beyond (that is, downstream from) the Dnieper Rapids. Along with Registered Cossa ...

led by

Ivan Sirko Ivan Dmytrovych Sirko ( – August 11, 1680) was a Zaporozhian Cossack military leader, Koshovyi Otaman of the Zaporozhian Host and putative co-author of the famous semi-legendary Cossack letter to the Ottoman sultan that inspired the major p ...

against the Ottoman-

Crimean Crimea ( ) is a peninsula in Eastern Europe, on the northern coast of the Black Sea, almost entirely surrounded by the Black Sea and the smaller Sea of Azov. The Isthmus of Perekop connects the peninsula to Kherson Oblast in mainland Ukrai ...

forces and allied Wallachian detachment, on 20 June 1670.

Prelude

was dissatisfied with Ottoman control in the region. Sirko raided

Ochakov Ochakiv (, ), also known as Ochakov (; ; or, archaically, ) and Alektor (), is a small city in Mykolaiv Raion, Mykolaiv Oblast (region) of southern Ukraine. It hosts the administration of Ochakiv urban hromada, one of the hromadas of Ukraine. ...

in the past and planned to do it again to undermine Turkish-Tatar influence. In addition, Sirko saw this campaign as an opportunity to demonstrate his readiness to serve the Tsar again. Sirko fully broke his ties with Doroshenko in 1670 and was unwilling to align with Turks or Tatars.

Siege

On June 20, Ivan Sirko led Cossacks on a campaign to

. Cossacks besieged Ochakov. They fortified themselves near the city and made several sorties. Later, Cossacks broke into it and stormed it. Cossacks didn't attempt to storm Ochakov citadel but captured the city itself and plundered it. The Ottoman-Crimean-Wallachian garrison was unable to stop Cossacks, they were either killed or captured. Cossacks set the city on fire after looting it, including taking Turk, Tatar and Wallachian prisoners with them. In addition, Cossacks took livestock and moveable property with them.

Aftermath

Cossacks successfully looted and burnt Ochakov. On July 18, Ivan Sirko informed

Grigory Romodanovsky Grigory Grigoryevich Romodanovsky () was a controversial figure of the Russian foreign policy as a member of the Razryadny Prikaz, playing a key role in pursuing leaders of the Ukrainian Cossack officers into the union with the Tsardom of Russia, ...

about his successful raid on Ochakov. Sirko also informed

Tsar Alexis Alexei Mikhailovich (, ; – ), also known as Alexis, was Tsar of all Russia from 1645 until his death in 1676. He was the second Russian tsar from the House of Romanov. He was the first tsar to sign laws on his own authority and his council ...

about the successful siege, using this as an opportunity to request Kalmyk assistance and military supplies. This campaign was intended as a message for

Istanbul Istanbul is the List of largest cities and towns in Turkey, largest city in Turkey, constituting the country's economic, cultural, and historical heart. With Demographics of Istanbul, a population over , it is home to 18% of the Demographics ...

and

Bakhchysarai Bakhchysarai is a city in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea, Ukraine. It is the administrative center of the Bakhchysarai Raion (district), as well as the former capital of the Crimean Khanate. Its main landmark is Hansaray, the only extant ...

, that they shouldn't feel comfortable on "ancient Ukrainian lands".

Notes

References

Bibliography

*{{Cite book , first=Dmytro , last=Yavornytskyi , title=Tvory , volume=1 , publisher=Tandem-U , date=2004 , isbn=966-7482-31-6, language=uk 1670 in Europe Conflicts in 1670 Sieges involving the Ottoman Empire Battles involving the Crimean Khanate Military history of Zaporizhzhia Military history of Ukraine