On 10 March 1809, a large Russian army under Gotthard Johann von Knorring moved against the Swedish forces stationed at Åland, in order to capture and use the islands for a continued offensive against Stockholm.

[2] The Russian vanguard made contact with the Swedish rearguard at Sangis, however the fighting ended abruptly and the two sides parleyed.

[2] Gripenberg's force was mostly made up of battle-hardened Finns who, as they marched through Tornio, surrendered their weapons at Kemi Church and wandered home, to Finland.

[8] At the time, the capitulation was deemed as an act of treachery—comparable to Carl Olof Cronstedt's surrender at Sveaborg—however, under the prevailing circumstances and with the information granted to him, the court-martialed Gripenberg was not solely to blame.

The Russian threefold attack had nevertheless failed to achieve a quick desirable peace, for which reason Knorring lost his supreme command to Barclay.