Near the site of the present-day city of Zhovti Vody on the Zhovta River in Ukraine, the forces of the Zaporozhian Host and Crimean Khanate under the command of Hetman Bohdan Khmelnytsky, Colonels Mykhailo Krychevsky, Maksym Kryvonis, and Fylon Dzhalaliy with Tugay Bey attacked and defeated the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth's forces under the command of Hetman Stefan Potocki and General Stefan Czarniecki, both of them were captured in the battle by the Zaporozhian Cossacks and Crimean Tatars.

The Registered Cossacks, who were originally allied with the Crown Army, arrived and unexpectedly joined to the forces of the Zaporozhian Host and Crimean Khanate under the command of Hetman Bohdan Khmelnytsky and Khan İslâm III Giray, the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth’s forces under the command of Hetman Stefan Potocki and General Stefan Czarniecki were annihilated while attempting to retreat in the 18-day battle, only days before reinforcements were to arrive.

Barabash and Karaimovych informed the authorities about this development and the Chyhyryn starosta, Aleksander Koniecpolski set to supervise Khmelnytsky.

Officially his arrival could have been explained by his desire to seek justice in his case with Czapliński; however, in reality the goal of his appearance was much broader.

Since 1646, the Sejm had seen remarkable changes taking place, and Khmelnytsky wanted to reassure himself of the King's stance on the war with the Turks.

"[3]: 369 An important gathering took place in October 1647 near Chyhyryn,[5] where Khmelnytsky reminded the public about the situation in the region, the intentions of the king of Poland to start a war against the Ottomans and how the Polish magnates counteracted those plans.

However, historian Mykhailo Hrushevsky doubts Bohdan Khmelnytsky actually had the king's letter, viewing this account as "popular legend".

[3]: 387 Sometime after the gathering Khmelnytsky was arrested in the village of Buzhyn, (30 kilometres (19 miles) north of Chyhyryn), by Radlinski, a servitor of Aleksander Koniecpolski, and was sent to Kryliv.

At this time, on the neighboring island of Khortytsia there was a Polish garrison of the Cherkasy Cossack Regiment and a unit of dragoons headed by Col. Górski.

The bigger part of the registered Cossacks joined the mutineers, and Colonel Górski, after losing over 30 people, retreated to Kryliv.

"[3]: 389 After expelling the Polish garrison from the Zaporozhian Sich Khmelnytsky sent out several agitation letters to the local public calling them to rise up against Poles ("summon them to unruliness").

Hetman Bohdan Khmelnytsky presented to Khan İslâm III Giray the King's letter and proposed an alliance.

During the preparations the envoy of the Crown Hetman Mikołaj Potocki, rotmistrz Chmielnicki arrived in the Sich,[3]: 390  and offered Bohdan Khmelnytsky and Zaporozhian Cossacks the chance to leave Zaporozhzhia and disperse.

The main element of Mikołaj Potocki was quartered in Cherkasy, while the Kalinowski's regiment stayed in Korsun, others in the estates of Crown Chorazy Aleksander Koniecpolski in Kaniv.

After receiving intelligence that the Crown Army was heading for the Kodak fortress,[3]: 403  Khmelnytsky decided to leave the Sich on 22 April 1648 with his main element (2,000 Cossacks) towards Kryliv and Chyhyryn.

[11][3]: 403  While this group travelled by land, an additional detachment was sent down the Dnipro river in boats to join Stefan Potocki's forces in due course.

It is likely that Krychevsky, en route, contacted Bohdan Khmelnytsky, his old friend (whom he helped to escape into Zaporozhian Sich a year earlier[12]) and the leader of the uprising.

Numbering 3,500 the Commonwealth's forces were greatly outnumbered at this point in comparison with Cossack-Tatar troops, which consisted of 4,000–5,000 Zaporozhian Cossacks, as well as of 3,000–4,000 Crimean Tatars under the command of Tugay Bey.

[13][11] After the first small clashes between the Polish vanguard and Tatar scouts (27–29 April) Stefan Potocki arrived at Zhovti Vody and advised by Jacek Szemberk and Stefan Czarniecki[12] ordered his force to establish a camp in the tabor formation, which allowed for a messenger to be sent to contact Hetman Mikołaj Potocki, while they defended themselves over the next two weeks.

In the hurriedly convened council of war, Polish commanders concluded that in the face of significant numerical superiority of the enemy (numbering according to the exaggerated statements prisoners allegedly 12,000 Tatars) it was impossible to fight a battle in the open field.

There were two options, withdraw in tabor formation to Kryliv, or remain in place in the fortified camp in anticipation of the arrival of the main force hetmans.

On the night of 1 May to 2 May, the Cossacks built near the Poles a rampart and placed their cannons, but at dawn, the defenders quickly attacked, seized the position, and destroyed the fortifications.

[16][3]: 405  Polkovnyk Ivan Hanzha is recognized as being instrumental in swaying his fellow registered Cossacks into taking Khmelnytsky's side.

Despite the overwhelming numerical superiority, gaining Polish ramparts was not an easy task, especially in the absence of heavy artillery on the side of the Cossacks.

On 13 May 1648, Bohdan Khmelnytsky met with representatives of Stefan Potocki, who debated turning over their artillery in exchange for safe passage.

The next day there was an attempt to break out of the encirclement, Poles along with tabor began to walk towards the small fortified town Kryliv.

Bolstered by their victory, the Zaporozhian Cossack and Crimean Tatar forces engaged with the troops of Hetman Mikołaj Potocki and defeated them at the Battle of Korsun.