[7] These events, the rumors about Catherine's Greek Plan,[8] and the friction caused by the mutual complaints of infringements of the Treaty of Küçük Kaynarca, which had ended the previous war, stirred up public opinion in the Ottoman capital Constantinople, while the British and French ambassadors lent their unconditional support to the Ottoman war party.

In 1787, the Ottomans demanded that the Russians evacuate the Crimea and give up their holdings near the Black Sea,[9] which Russia saw as a casus belli.

[14] Russian General Alexander Suvorov held off these two Ottoman sea-borne attacks in September and October 1787, thus securing the Crimea.

[16] Although suffering a series of defeats against the Russians, the Ottoman Empire found some success against the Austrians, led by Emperor Joseph II, in Serbia and Transylvania.

[19] Meanwhile, the Russians continued their advance when Suvorov captured the reportedly "impenetrable" Ottoman fortress of Izmail at the entrance of the Danube, in December 1790;[19] this became possible also due to Fyodor Ushakov's victory at Tendra.

[9] However, as Prof. Timothy C. Dowling states, the slaughters that were committed in the ensuing period somewhat defiled Suvorov's reputation in many eyes, and there were allegations at the time that he was drunk at the Siege of Ochakov.