Ivan Gonta, an officer in the private militia of the owner of Uman Count Franciszek Salezy Potocki (made up of Household Cossacks[citation needed]) was accused of connections with haidamaka by some people from the local Jewish community three months before the siege and long before the uprising.
In early June 1768 the Ukrainian rebels under the command of Maksym Zalizniak marched on Uman after capturing Cherkasy, Korsun and Kaniv.
[clarification needed] A large camp filled with Polish nobility and their private militia, regular soldiers, and Jewish refugees were positioned outside the city walls.
Some sources claim that the formal commanders of two household Cossack regiments were sent by Gonta back to Uman, although the authenticity of the story is highly disputed.
But the majority of Ukrainians including the students of local Eastern Catholic seminary remained loyal to Mladanovich and participated in the defense of the city.
The previously disarmed by rebels Jews then gathered in the synagogues, where they were led by Leib Shargorodski and Moses Menaker in an attempt to defend themselves, but they were destroyed by cannon fire and knives.