Sirko's Campaign (1673)

Sirko's Campaign
Part of the Turkish-Cossack Conflict
Date Autumn 1673 Location Nogai Lands, Aq Kirmān, Crimea Result Cossack victory
Belligerents
Zaporozhian Cossacks	Crimean Khanate Nogai Horde Ottoman Empire
Commanders and leaders
Ivan Sirko	Selim I Giray Mehmed IV
Strength
Unknown	Unknown
Casualties and losses
Unknown	Very heavy

The Sirko's Campaign was carried out by the Zaporozhian Cossacks led by Ivan Sirko against the Crimean Khanate, Nogai Horde and Ottoman Empire that took place in autumn 1673.

Prelude

Tatars were returning from Kamenets-Podolsky to Crimea while passing through the lands of Zaporozhian Cossacks, they stole their cattle and abducted several people in process. Ivan Sirko found out about this and wanted to take revenge on Tatars for their crimes against Rus' people. He organised a punitive campaign against Crimean Khanate, Nogai Horde and Ottoman Empire.

Campaign

Nogai Lands

Nogai Tatars often took part in raids on Eastern Europe together with Crimean Tatars. Sirko went to the lands of Nogai Horde at the start of his campaign, devastating them before heading with Cossacks to Aq Kirmān.

Aq Kirmān

Aq Kirmān (Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyi) was under control of the Ottomans. Ivan Sirko besieged this city then captured it, sacking and looting it. From there, he ordered part of his army to prepare to land on the shores of Karasubazar while he headed to Perekop with his land army.

Crimea

Khan Selim I Giray was ill and the population of Crimea was struck by pandemic. Ivan Sirko took advantage of their vulnerability and captured Perekop with his land army, combined with element of surprise from the Cossack ships that landed on the shores of Karasubazar. Cossacks devastated the coastal cities, while Tatars were unprepared for the attack and couldn't put up a sufficient resistance. Having passed through the entirety of Crimea, Ivan Sirko joined with the rest of his army at Perekop and looted Tatar villages on the way out. This way, Otaman Sirko was taking revenge on Tatars for their crimes in a "hundredfold manner".

Aftermath

This campaign weakened Crimean Khanate, Nogai Horde and Ottoman Empire. Ottomans were unable to sufficiently defend Khotyn from Poland-Lithuania as a result. This potentially inspired the Ottoman-Crimean campaign on Sich in winter 1674, with the goal of ending Cossack campaigns and raids on their territories.