During the invasion of Poland, the Polish Border Defence Corps (KOP) was severely stripped of all the reserves and heavy armament.

The garrisons of the KOP were overstretched and after initial clashes and skirmishes for the border forts, the Polish units had to fall back.

In several days he managed to gather approximately 9,000 men under his command, coming from various units spread along a 300-kilometre long strip of the Polish-Soviet border.

On 19 September he ordered all his units to march towards Kowel, where his forces were to be joined by the Independent Operational Group Polesie under general Franciszek Kleeberg.

Orlik-Rueckemann ordered both columns to form a defensive line along the border of the forest and provoked the Red Army to attack.

At 2 o'clock in the afternoon, Soviet reserve units appeared in the area and Orlik-Rueckemann decided to withdraw his troops to the forests.

[3][4][5][6] The remaining Polish forces evaded capture and crossed the Bug River, where they took part in the Battle of Wytyczno.