Siege of Ochakov (1737)

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 siege
The first Russian attack was repelled with heavy losses, but as a result of Russian 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 and 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.