| Conflict: | Siege of Ochakov |
| Partof: | the Russo-Turkish War (1735–1739) |
| Date: | 10 July (29 June O.S.) – 13 July (2 July O.S.), 1737 |
| Place: | Özi/Ochakov, Özü Eyalet (now Ochakiv, Ukraine) |
| Result: | Russian victory |
| Combatant1: | Ottoman Empire |
| Combatant2: | |
| Commander1: | Hatibzade Yahya Pasha Mustafa Pasha |
| Commander2: | Burkhard Christoph von Münnich Alexander Rumyantsev Ludwig Gruno |
| Strength1: | 20,000 |
| Strength2: | 60,000[1] |
| Casualties1: | 17,000 |
| Casualties2: | 4,000[2] [3] [4] |
The siege of Ochakov (1737) took place during the Austro-Russian–Turkish War (1735–39) in which the Russian army, led by Burkhard Christoph von Münnich, captured the Ottoman fortress of Ochakov. It took place in 1737.
The first Russian attack was repelled with heavy losses, but as a result of heavy mortar fire, a fire broke out, and on the second day a powder magazine within the city blew up, killing around 6,000 defenders. The fortress quickly surrendered, but the remaining defenders were massacred by the attackers despite attempting to surrender. In the ensuing slaughter, all but 3,000 of the garrison were killed. The stench of decaying corpses was such that the Russians had to withdraw 15 miles from the fortress.
The Russians razed and abandoned Özi in late 1738 after a disease ravaged the Russian garrison of the fortress, killing 60,000 people. It would not be attacked again until July 1771 in a failed siege.[5] The Russians only managed to regain Özi in December 1788.[6]