Gray Operation

“Sivash Operation” (also known as Operation Sarychev Bugor) is a large-scale military campaign that the Russian Empire began on August 26, 1877 as part of the Russian-Turkish War. This operation was the culmination of General Skobelev’s campaign from Dubossary to Saraichi against the Turkish troops of Hadji Khalil Pasha, located on the Black Sea coast.

The first stage of the “Sivash operation” began in early August 1787 and lasted about three weeks. Russian troops began bombarding the coasts of Kainaraja, Alexandria and Balchik in the Danube region in order to pin down the forces of the Turkish troops, and then began to advance deeper into Turkish territory. Emperor Alexander II personally arrived in Kainarydzhi at the end of August to observe the progress of military operations. At this point, the main forces of the rebels from the Balkan region had already been defeated, and Russia could concentrate on capturing Turkish territory for further advancement to the south.

However, despite the success in opening the passage between the Black and Azov Seas, after the first stage many Russian generals began to lose confidence in the success of the operation. Some of them noted logistical difficulties, lack of artillery, poor health of the soldiers and constant disagreements between commanders during various stages of the operation. The campaign against Chorluka lasted more than two months. Its most important events were the siege and capture of Bayazet, the siege of Qare and the assault on several fortresses.