The siege of Taganrog is a name given in some Russian histories to Anglo-French naval operations in the Sea of Azov between June and November 1855 during the Crimean War.

British and French forces were implementing a strategy of destroying the supply lines for the main Russian army which ran through the Sea of Azov.

They reasoned that this would allow them to cut off Crimea even further from Russia and prevent further supplies from reaching Russian forces there by sea via the seaports in the Taman.

Taganrog is located on a strip of land jutting out slightly into the Sea of Azov and, to the British and the French, formed an excellent stepping stone to Rostov-on-Don.

Meanwhile, Taganrog's governor-general, Nikolay Adlerberg, had been replaced by Yegor Tolstoy, an ageing but versatile general, who had served in the Russian Army in fighting against the Turks.

On the evening of 1 June 1855 the Anglo-French squadron, which consisted of 5 paddle steamers and 16 armed launches (on loan from the main allied fleet at Sevastapol) commanded by Captain Edmund Lyons (son of Rear Admiral Edmund Lyons) and Captain Béral de Sedaiges, anchored 8.5 miles of Taganrog in 18 feet of water.

A four-oared gig then landed Lt Cecil Buckley and Boatswain Henry Cooper, who proceeded to set fire to the military depots buildings before returning, in the same manner they had at Genitchi on 29 May.

[10] Tolstoy in his official report claimed the allies had landed a major force near the Old Stone Steps (Каменная лестница) and Greek Church in downtown Taganrog followed the bombardment which was allegedly repulsed by the Cossacks and the volunteer corps.

By mid-June every single coastal town on the Sea of Azov had been attacked and their supplies destroyed to deny them to the main Russian army at Sevastapol.

On 19 July, Commander Sherard Osborn conducted a reconnoiter of Taganrog aboard HMS Jasper and observed the battery being built.

Most sources report that local fishermen moved various buoys that marked water depth, which forced the British warship ashore.

[14] After a day of being unable to free her, and under fire from a force of Cossacks,[18] Jasper's crew was taken off aboard HMS Swallow and the grounded ship scuttled.

[22] A few days later the garrison of Taganrog was reinforced further with the Reserve Brigade of the 15th Infantry Division, some 4,000 infantrymen under Major-General Leyna (Лейна), in addition to the large number of Cossacks absorbed by the defence.