The vanguard units of the Russian army arrived in front of the Ibrail Castle on May 11 and started the blockade from May 12, and on May 21, the siege began with the arrival of the Russian 7th Army under the command of General Grand Duke Mikhail Pavlovich and General Vovanov to the region with cannons.

The Russian army allocated a force of approximately 20,000 soldiers for the siege (there were also 47,000 workers for fortification activities).

The Ottoman garrison began to inflict casualties against the Russians, who completed the digging of the trenches on June 3–6.

When the Ottoman fleet was defeated in the battle, the Maçin (now Măcin) castle, which was left without reinforcements, fell.

On the other hand, the Russian army, in addition to the loss of 4,000 soldiers, had to carry out its forward operations in the summer months, wasting time in front of the Ibrail Castle until the end of June, especially in the swampy and damp terrain of Dobruja, suffering from malaria and dysentery.