Siege of Ochakov (1737)

Münnich's army (60–70,000 men) consisted of three divisions: the first under Prince Ludwig of Hesse-Homburg, the second under General Alexander Rumyantsev, and the third under Lieutenant General Mikhail Leontiev [ru].^[7] The Turkish garrison included 22,000 infantry and cavalry under the command of Serasker Yahya Pasha and the commandant was the two-tug pasha Mustafa. The artillery consisted of 98 cannons, 7 mortars and 1 howitzer.^[8]

The first Russian attack was repelled with heavy losses, but as a result of heavy mortar fire, a fire broke out, and on the second day a powder magazine within the city blew up, killing around 6,000 defenders. The fortress quickly surrendered, but the remaining defenders were massacred by the attackers despite attempting to surrender. In the ensuing slaughter, all but 3,000 of the garrison were killed. The stench of decaying corpses was such that the Russians had to withdraw 15 miles from the fortress.^[2]

The Russians razed and abandoned Özi in late 1738 after a disease ravaged the Russian garrison of the fortress, killing 60,000 people.^[9] It would not be attacked again until July 1771 in a failed siege.^[10] The Russians only managed to regain Özi in December 1788.^[11]