| Conflict: | Battle of Sich |
| Partof: | the Turkish-Cossack Conflict |
| Place: | Zaporozhian Sich |
| Date: | Winter 1674 |
| Combatant1: | Zaporozhian Cossacks |
| Combatant2: | Ottoman Empire Crimean Khanate |
| Result: | Cossack victory |
| Commander1: | Ivan Sirko |
| Commander2: | Mehmed IV Selim I Giray |
| Strength1: | 2,000[1] |
| Strength2: | 15,000 40,000 |
| Casualties1: | 50 killed[2] |
| Casualties2: | 13,500 killed; 150 captured Heavy |
The Battle of Sich took place between the Ottoman-Crimean army and the Zaporozhian Cossacks, during the Ottoman-Crimean campaign into the Sich, at night in winter of 1674.
Sultan Mehmed IV and Khan Selim I Giray planned a campaign into the Sich with the goal of destroying it, thus ending the frequent Cossack campaigns and raids of Ivan Sirko into their lands. 15,000 Ottoman Janissaries and 40,000 Tatars were to take part in the campaign.[3] [1] [4] The Cossack winter garrison was around 2,000.[1]
Turkish-Tatar army launched their campaign into the Sich once the rivers froze, at night to avoid getting detected. However, they were noticed by a Cossack named Shevchuk or Chefchika, who alerted his comrades, and made the presence of intruders in the Sich known to the rest of Cossacks, this allowed the Cossacks to react on time.[5] [6] Cossacks launched an attack on the Turkish-Tatar army, firing at them with muskets from all directions, which put the Turkish-Tatar army into the state of disorganized panic, and wiped out nearly all Ottoman Janissaries as a result.[6] Khan Selim I Giray hastily retreated back to Crimea with remnants of Turkish-Tatar army before the Cossacks could catch up to them.[7] [8]
13,500 Ottoman Janissaries were killed, 150 captured and Tatars suffered heavy losses.[3] [7] [8] Cossacks suffered 50 killed.[2] [7] [8] After this battle, Ivan Sirko with Cossacks sent a reply to Khan Selim I Giray. They wrote:[9]
Ivan Sirko wanted revenge for the attack on Sich, this inspired his Crimean Campaign in 1675.[3] [10]