Battle of Horodok | |||||||
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Part of Russo-Polish War (1654–67) | |||||||
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Belligerents | |||||||
Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth |
Russian Tsardom Zaporozhian Cossacks |
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Commanders and leaders | |||||||
Vasily Sheremetev Bohdan Khmelnytsky |
The battle of Gródek Jagielloński or battle of Horodok took place during the Russo-Polish War (1654–67) on 29 September 1655. Russian and Ukrainian Cossack forces under Vasily Borisovich Sheremetev and Bohdan Khmelnytsky engaged a Polish–Lithuanian army under near Gródek Jagielloński, which at that time was part of Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth’s Ruthenian Voivodeship (now Horodok, Lviv Oblast, Ukraine). Polish forces were defeated and forced to retreat, losing their supplies to the Russians. The Russians advanced, besieging Lwow, and Potocki with the remains of his army was soon forced to surrender to the invading Swedes.
In August 1655, Russian-Cossack forces moved into Red Ruthenia, which at that time was one of few provinces of the Commonwealth still controlled by Polish forces, as in July of that year, Poland-Lithuania had been invaded by the Swedish Empire. Russian-Cossack forces were faced by a numerically inferior Polish Crown army commanded by Hetman . The Poles were supported by light Crimean Tatar cavalry, but their forces were inadequate to stop the Russians, and were steadily pushed westwards by the invaders. Near Grodek Jagiellonski Russian cavalry forced their opponent to fight among swamps and ponds.
First Russian charge was repulsed, and Polish cavalry followed the retreating enemy, getting between two columns of Cossack infantry. Hetman Potocki ordered a retreat, which turned into panic. Potocki managed to regain the control of his army, but Russian-Cossack forces were too numerous, and despite desperate resistance, they managed to capture Polish camp, chasing retreating Poles as far as Jaworow.