Sup River Offensive
| Sup River Offensive | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of Caucasian War | |||||||||
| |||||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||||
 Russian Empire |
 Circassians | ||||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||||
|
Colonel Levashov | Unknown | ||||||||
| Strength | |||||||||
|
4 battalions of infantry 1 cavalry sotnia 2 horse artillery guns | Unknown (local militia, irregulars) | ||||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||||
|
16 wounded 1 horse killed; 2 wounded |
Unknown (5 bodies recovered) | ||||||||
| Over 600 houses destroyed. Significant stores of grain, hay, and livestock seized or burned.[1][2] | |||||||||
The Sup River Offensive was a punitive operation carried out by Russian forces under Colonel Levashov against the Abadzekh (Circassians) in December 1862.[3][4][5]
Background
[edit]The Sup River valley was a key region within the Abadzekh territory, which had become increasingly hostile to Russian expansion in the Caucasus. Prior to the operation, several Abadzekh villages in the area had been raiding Russian outposts and disrupting supply lines, which prompted the Russian command to send a punitive expedition to suppress the local resistance.[3]
Colonel Levashov's forces, comprising four battalions of infantry, a cavalry sotnia, and two horse artillery guns, were tasked with neutralizing the threat posed by the Abadzekh and reasserting Russian control over the strategically important Sup River valley.[3]
Operation
[edit]On the night of 28 December 1862, Levashov's forces began their march towards the Sup River valley. The operation was designed to clear the area of enemy resistance by destroying the Abadzekh villages and eliminating any hostile forces. The Russian advance was initially slow, as the troops moved through difficult terrain, including forests and narrow mountain passes.[4][1]
Despite the challenges, the Russian forces successfully surprised the Abadzekh defenders, who were taken by surprise at dawn. The Abadzekh had initially attempted to fortify the villages with defensive structures, but their positions were quickly overrun. By 30 December, two major Abadzekh villages were destroyed, and Russian forces temporarily gained control of the Sup River valley.[4][1]
Aftermath
[edit]Following the operation, the Russian forces secured a tactical victory, with significant material losses inflicted on the Abadzekh. Over 600 houses were destroyed, and large stores of grain, hay, and livestock were either seized or burned. While the exact casualties on the Abadzekh side remain unclear, five enemy bodies were recovered, and the Russian forces suffered 16 wounded, with some light losses among their cavalry.[2][1]
The operation temporarily stabilized the situation in the Kuban Oblast, but further Abadzekh resistance in the region would lead to additional punitive expeditions in the coming years.
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d "1862, December 30 — Report of the Commander of the Shebskiy Detachment Colonel Levashov". Vostlit.info (in Russian). State Archive of Krasnodar Krai. Retrieved 2025-04-19.
Report of the Commander of the Shebskiy Detachment Colonel Levashov to the Commander of the Troops of the Kuban Region about the results of the campaign against the Lower Abadzekhs
- ^ a b "Журналы военных действий и занятий войск в Кубанской области, составленный по сведениям, полученным от частных начальников, с 5 по 12 января 1863 г.". Центральный государственный исторический архив Грузии. Ф. 416. Оп. 3. Д. 1177 (in Russian) (5–12 января): 1–2. 1863.
- ^ a b c Khotko, Samir Khamidovich (2015). Discovery of Circassia: Cartographic Sources of the 14th–19th Centuries (PDF) (in Russian). Maykop: Poligraf-Yug. pp. 158–159. ISBN 978-5-7992-0829-5.
- ^ a b c Kumykov T. Kh. (2001). Problems of the Caucasian War and the Resettlement of the Circassians to the Ottoman Empire (20–70s of the 19th Century). Collection of Archival Documents (PDF) (in Russian). Nalchik: Elbrus.
- ^ Государственный архив Краснодарского края, ф. 261, оп. 2, д. 86, л. 17, 18, 19, 20, 21 об.