Crimean campaign (1646)

In the year 1646, the Russians prepared a military expedition to attack the Crimean Khanate. Two armies were dispatched: one was led by Z. V. Kondyrev, consisting of 3,000 Cossack volunteers who were recruited from Voronezh, and a second force was led by Semeon Romanovich Pozharskii, consisting of 1,700 Russians and 2,000 Nogais. The former commander was given command of the expedition and gave orders to his men not to attack the Ottoman fortress of Azov and to obey his and Pozharskii's orders.[1][2] Before the expedition was launched, Kondyrev recruited an additional 10,000 men, mainly peasants and garrison deserters seeking to join the Cossacks.[3]

As the campaign was marching against the Crimeans, the additional force began disrupting the farms and the supplies provided by garrison, which led to the Russian government to dispatch a supply flotilla so that they can feed the army, but this proved not enough.[4] To make matters worse, a Starshina decided to desert Kondyrev's army in June and recruited a force of 500 men to attack Azov. They attacked the fort at night, but they were repulsed. While also attacking Ottoman ships, the Russians planned to raid the coasts of Crimea, but due to storms and shortages of supplies, nothing came of these plans. The second army, led by Pozharskii, achieved some success by attacking Crimean encampments; however, in August, they met a Crimean force of 10,000 men led by Nuraddin and were defeated near Kagal'nik. In September, Kondyrev's men began deserting due to hunger and demoralization, by then he had a remaining force of 2,000 men until he was recalled back to Moscow.[5]

• Brian Davies, Warfare, State and Society on the Black Sea Steppe, 1500 1700 (Warfare and History).
• Сергей Михайлович Соловьев, History of Russia, Vol XVIII, p. 114