Battle of Akhaltsikhe (1853)

The Battle of Akhaltsikhe - the battle that took place on November 24, 1853 near the Akhaltsikh fortress during the Crimean War between the Russian and Ottoman armies.

Battle of Akhaltsikhe
Part of the Crimean War
The scheme of the battle in Russian
Date 24 November 1853 Location Akhaltsikhe (today Georgia) Result Russian victory
Belligerents
Russian Empire	Ottoman Empire
Commanders and leaders
Ivan Andronnikov	Mehmed Ali Pasha
Strength
7 000	18 000 24 guns
Casualties and losses
362.[1]	3 500 11 guns.[2]

With the outbreak of the Crimean War, Turkish troops immediately launched an offensive in the Russian Transcaucasia. One of the directions of the Turkish onslaught was the Akhaltsikh fortress, towards which Ali Pasha's corps was moving. On the way to it, the Turkish army was stopped by the two times smaller detachment of Prince Andronnikov.

Despite the inequality of forces, the Russian commander chose an offensive version of the battle and decisively attacked the Turkish detachment in two columns: one from the front, the other bypassing the left flank. After a fierce battle, the Turks suffered a heavy defeat and retreated to Kars. Russian offense - 361 people. The Turks lost 3.5 thousand people in killed, wounded and captured. The Battle of Akhaltsikhe was the first major Russian success in the Caucasian theater of operations during the Crimean War. After this victory, the Turkish offensive in Transcaucasia was stopped.[3]