[8] The Russian attack was called off just when they reached the Ottoman fortifications, and they retreated in good order, but suffered heavy losses.

In the build-up to war, Russia had occupied the Danubian Principalities of Moldavia and Wallachia, positioning troops on the (northern) left bank of the Danube, the border of Ottoman territory.

On their left flank, the Ottomans gathered a large force near the westernmost fortress of Vidin, but there were no significant numbers of Russians (they were afraid of diplomatic attrition with Austria).

[11] On 2 November 1853 the vanguard of an Ottoman force under Omar Pasha crossed the Danube in eastern Wallachia and occupied the fortified quarantine post near the village of Oltenița, opposite the Turtukai fortress.

The infantry moved in dense battalion columns, under the fierce fire of Turkish riflemen and guns, and suffered heavy losses.

[12][13] Emperor Nicholas I, after having studied the battle in detail, commented that the troops of Dannenberg did not have enough artillery to drive the Ottomans from their defensive positions and suppress the fortified Ottoman cannons, which were supported by other artillery positions built on the right shore of the Danube, and should have fought in a looser formation, using marksmen against the embrasures of the enemy fortifications.

[9] Omar Pasha officially declared that he lost about 180;[2] the Russians, although they did not know the actual losses of the enemy, assumed that they should be heavy, largely due to the massive use of shrapnel at close range.