| Battle of Kalmius | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of the Cossack raids and Crimean-Nogai slave raids in Eastern Europe | |||||||||
| |||||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||||
 Zaporozhian Cossacks |  Crimean Khanate  Nogai Horde | ||||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||||
| Mykhailo Ruzhynsky Jan Orishevsky | İslâm II Giray | ||||||||
| Strength | |||||||||
| Unknown | Unknown | ||||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||||
| Unknown | 3,000+ killed [1] Heavy | ||||||||
The Battle of Kalmius [a] was a confrontation between the Zaporozhian Cossacks and Crimean-Nogai Tatars over control of territory in modern-day Donetsk Oblast, in 1585. [2]
In 1585, Mykhailo Ruzhynsky was elected as the Hetman of Zaporizhian Cossacks. Newly-elected Hetman distinguished himself in a raid on Perekop where Cossacks seized lots of loot from Tatars. Crimean Khan İslâm II Giray complained about this to the Polish King Stephen Báthory, threatening the King with invasion. The King sent envoy Głębowski to demand for Cossacks to return looted property to the Khan, but Cossacks refused and drowned the royal envoy. The same year, İslâm II Giray launched a large-scale raid on Ukrainian lands. [1]
During the same year, Crimean Khans were going through a power a struggle. Saadet II Giray attempted to take power, but was defeated by İslâm II Giray who was supported by the Ottoman Empire. However, the Cossacks would later take advantage of the weakness this power struggle caused for the Crimean Khanate. [2]
The Crimean Khan intended to invade Ukrainian lands by crossing the sea near Tavan island, leading his Tatar cavalry. However, they were met by Cossack boats which engaged Tatar in a battle on the sea. The Cossacks came out victorious, killing 3,000 Crimean Tatars and capturing their boats. As a result, the Tatar invasion of Ukrainian lands was repelled. [1]
After Cossack victory on the sea, Cossack Hetman Ruzhynsky launched a counteroffensive into the Crimean Tatar territory. [1] Cossacks defeated the Crimean-Nogai troops that were stationed at Kalmius and Berda, capturing these fortresses. [1] [2] [3]
The Cossack triumph at Kalmius over Crimeans and Nogais had a strategic impact that weakened the Tatars. Cossacks seized 40,000 horses which weakened Tatar cavalry capabilities. Kalmius and Berda were captured by the Cossacks. It was seen as "reclamation of former Kievan Rus' territory". These places were turned into settlements with Cossack garrisons set up there to prevent Tatar detachments from freely passing through. [3]
Ислам-Гирей с конницей выступил на Украину, начал переправляться через Днепр у острова Таван. Но налетели стаи казачьих лодок, вступили с татарами в бой на воде. Перебили 3 тыс. крымцев, захватили их лодки, на которых перевозили на другой берег седла и припасы, и набег был сорван. А Ружинский перешел в контрнаступление. Очистил от татар междуречье Калимиуса и Берды, оставил там казачьи посты и засеки, эта территория перешла под контроль запорожцев. [Islam-Girey with his cavalry set out for Ukraine and began to cross the Dnieper at Tavan Island. But flocks of Cossack boats attacked and engaged the Tatars in battle on the water. They killed 3 thousand Crimeans, captured their boats, on which they were transporting saddles and supplies to the other bank, and the raid was thwarted. And Ruzhinsky went on the counteroffensive. He cleared the area between the Kalimius and Berda rivers of Tatars, left Cossack posts and abatis there, and this territory came under the control of the Zaporozhians.]
Цією боротьбою у 1585 р. і скористалися запорозькі козаки на чолі з Яном Оришевським і Михайлом Ружинським, які пограбували ногайські улуси та завдали татарам поразки у битві на Кальміусі. [This struggle was exploited in 1585 by the Zaporozhian Cossacks led by Jan Oryshevsky and Mykhailo Ruzhynsky, who plundered the Nogai uluses and defeated the Tatars in the Battle of Kalmius.]