Battle of Oposhnya

Battle of Oposhnya Part of Great Northern War Date January 28, 1709 (O.S.) January 29, 1709 (Swedish calendar) February 8, 1709 (N.S.) Location Oposhnya, Ukraine Result Swedish victory Belligerents Swedish Empire Tsardom of Russia Commanders and leaders Charles XII of Sweden Aleksandr Danilovich Menshikov Karl Evald von Rönne Strength 2,000 men[1] 6,000 men[1] Casualties and losses 19[1] 450[1]

Great Northern War Campaigns Denmark Russia and the Baltic provinces Poland-Lithuania/Saxony Ottoman Empire Sweden and Northern Germany Norway Finland Battles 1st Riga 1st Tönning Humlebæk Varja 1st Narva Petschora Düna Rauge Erastfer Darsūniškis Vilnius Kliszów Hummelshof Nöteborg Saladen Pultusk Systerbäck Wesenberg Thorn Jakobstadt Posen 2nd Narva Punitz Gemauerthof Warsaw Praga 1st Grodno Fraustadt Olkieniki Kletsk Kalisz 2nd Grodno Holowczyn Neva Malatitze Rajovka Koporye Lesnaya Kolkanpää Desna Koniecpol Veprik Oposhnya Krasnokutsk–Gorodnoye Sokolki Poltava Perevolochna 2nd Riga 2nd Vyborg Pruth Campaign Helsingborg Køge Bay Wismar Gadebusch 2nd Tönning Bender Finland Battle of Fladstrand Hogland Pälkäne Storkyro Gangut Stralsund Fehmarn Rügen Stresow Dynekilen Göteborg Strömstad Fredriksten Carolean Death March Ösel Stäket Grengam Treaties Charles XII invasion of Russia Grodno II Holowczyn Neva Malatitze Rajovka Koporye Lesnaya Kolkanpää Desna Baturyn Koniecpol Veprik Oposhnya Krasnokutsk–Gorodnoye Sokolki Poltava Perevolochna

The Battle of Oposhnya was a battle which took place on February 8, 1709 during the Swedish invasion of Russia in the Great Northern War. After the costly siege of Veprik the Swedes under Charles XII of Sweden started an offensive against the Russian army in the area. The intention of this offensive was not clear to the Russians, as they subsequently had to spread their main forces out to cover possible attack directions. One of these were the troops under Aleksandr Danilovich Menshikov positioned at Oposhnya on the river Vorskla to block any attempt by the Swedes to cross the river. Charles intended to attack Menshikov and his 6,000 cavalry in a surprising manner, forcing them off the location. He led 2,000 cavalry for this task and managed to catch the Russians completely by surprise while having dinner. Charles immediately charged with his men and swept the Russian forces out of the town followed by a hot pursuit on step. In this action the Russians lost more than 450 men, the Swedes only 19. Perhaps more importantly however, the Swedes could now cross the river Vorskla. The offensive continued for a while and Charles reached Krasnokutsk where he forced another Russian army on the run.^[1]

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