In 1788, Russian forces led by Prince Grigory Potemkin and General Alexander Suvorov besieged the city, held by Ottoman troops commanded by Hasan Pasha.

By keeping his soldiers out of direct battle, Potemkin minimized Russian casualties, though he was accused by his generals of cowardice.

The conditions of both armies continued to decline, with the looming threat of disease and increasingly cold weather.

[3] Colonel of the Second Bug Regiment Pyotr Mikhailovich Skarzhinsky [ru], who "distinguished himself during the capture of Ochakov."

He was awarded Russia's most prestigious military decoration the Order of St. George[6] The Russian victory was celebrated in a famous ode by Gavrila Derzhavin, and in a Te Deum by Giuseppe Sarti.