Battle of Rajovka
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10 September 1708 (Swedish calendar)
20 September 1708 (N.S.)
| Battle of Rajovka | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of the Swedish invasion of Russia | |||||||
| |||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||
 Swedish Empire |
 Tsardom of Russia | ||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
| Charles XII of Sweden | Christian Felix Bauer | ||||||
| Strength | |||||||
| 2,400 cavalry[2] |
8,000–10,000 dragoons 1,000 Cossacks and Kalmyks[3] | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| 100 killed[4] | 375 killed[5] | ||||||
The Battle of Rajovka took place on 20 September 1708 near Rayevka, Smolensk during the Swedish invasion of Russia in the Great Northern War. The Swedish army of about 2,400 men under the command of Charles XII defeated the Russian army of 10,000 men under Christian Felix Bauer after a fierce cavalry skirmish where the king himself was in great danger.
After having fought the battle of Malatitze the victorious Swedish army marched towards Tatarsk (Smolensk Oblast) in order to fight the Russians under tsar Peter I. However, after a while a great number of Russian horse were spotted, having stalked the Swedish units. To draw their attention towards himself, rather than the supply convoy under general Adam Ludwig Lewenhaupt which Charles presumed was close, he decided to force the Russians away.[1]