[3] He was instructed to join his forces with King Heraclius II of Georgia who hoped to reconquer the Ottoman-held southern Georgian lands in conjunction with Russia.

[5] The relations between the Russian commander and Heraclius were subjected to greater strain in April 1770, when the Russo-Georgian army marched against Akhaltsikhe, the Ottoman stronghold in Georgia.

The Russian government sent Captain Yazykov to investigate the affair, but Totleben had already crossed into Imereti, western Georgia, where he acted more energetically.

Totleben dispossessed the Turks of the fortresses of Shorapani and Baghdati and helped King Solomon I of Imereti recover his capital Kutaisi on 6 August 1770.

However, Totleben again found himself in the centre of intrigues between Solomon and his defiant vassal princes of Mingrelia and Guria who wanted to secure Russian support against each other.