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Battle of Maltakva

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Battle of Maltakva
Part of Russo-Turkish War (1806–1812)
Date2 November, 1809
Location
Result Russo-Georgian victory
Territorial
changes
Russians and Georgians capture Poti
Belligerents
 Russian Empire
Principality of Guria
Principality of Mingrelia
Principality of Abkhazia
 Ottoman Empire
Commanders and leaders
Niko I Dadiani Pasha of Poti
Serasker of Trebizond
Strength
6,000 9,000
Casualties and losses
74 killed 1,500 killed
283 captured

The Battle of Maltakvi was part of the Russo-Turkish war (1806-1812), the battle of the Russo-Georgian army to capture Poti fortress.

The Russian command attached great importance to the liberation of Poti from the Ottomans and tried by all means to achieve it. After unsuccessful negotiations with the commandant of the Poti prison, the Russian command decided to take the prison by force. On August 12, the Russian army, together with the army of the principalities of Samegrelo and Abkhazia, moved towards Poti. One part of the army moved to the left side of Rioni river and stood about 3 km from the fortress. Part of it landed in the lower part of the river. Cannons should be placed on the right side of the river. On August 13, after the artillery fire, the Ottomans left the fortified place and rushed to the fortress. Their garrison was surrounded on 3 sides. Artillery fire inflicted significant losses on the enemy, but the attack was delayed due to the lack of war material. In the second half of October, Seraskir of Trebizond with 9,000 soldiers approached Poti to help the Turkish garrison. The Russian command managed to recruit Mamiya V Guriel to its side. The army of Guria principality under the command of Vakhtang Eristavi and Simon Gugunava suddenly attacked the enemy from Grigoleti and severely defeated them. The Ottomans tried to escape by sea. Many drowned in the water, some scattered in the forest and swamp. On November 2, the units of the Samegrelo and Abkhaz army marched towards the Maltakva river under the cover of artillery fire. The garrison of Poti was forced to leave the fortress, which was captured on November 15 by General Dimitri Orbeliani with Megrelian-Abkhaz detachments.[1][2][3]

References

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  1. ^ Melikishvili, Giorgi (ed.). "საქართველო უძველესი დროიდან ახალი წელთაღრიცხვის IV საუკუნემდე" [Georgia since ancient times to the 4th century BC] (PDF) (in Georgian).
  2. ^ აბაშიძე, ირაკლი (1987). ქართული საბჭოთა ენციკლოპედია : ტომი 11 [Georgian Soviet Encyclopedia: Volume 11] (in Georgian). თბილისი : ბეჭდვითი სიტყვის კომბინატი.
  3. ^ Აბაშიძე, Ზაზა; Ბახტაძე, Მიხეილ; Ჯანელიძე, Ოთარ (2013). საქართველო და ქართველები (in Georgian). თბილისი : ფავორიტ პრინტი. ISBN 978-9941-0-5498-3.